


Long Strange Trip

by Alphalover



Category: Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-23 10:49:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 255,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20890886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alphalover/pseuds/Alphalover
Summary: Alt Lois spends years trapped in a hellish alternate universe Earth overrun by invading Kryptonians





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had a long pdf that I broke up, so the formatting isn't great

Author’s Note: The text between << >> indicate the thoughts of the characters.  
The text after *** refers to telepathic communication.  
He returned wearily from the intense rescue mission, desperately in need of someone to  
talk to. The hardest part about this aspect of his life was that it took so much out of him  
emotionally and he had no place to go find solace. He felt the familiar lonely pull of  
depression suck him into its depths. He knew it wasn’t a clinical disorder, but rather the  
stark realization that he really was alone in this world.  
Knowing what his counterpart had only made it harder. It was one thing to be lonely and  
alone and to have some vague hope of meeting that right person someday. There was no  
such hope for him. The one woman who would make him complete was nowhere to be  
found. He had searched for her extensively in vain and had finally begun to admit that  
Lois Lane was dead. For all his super-strength and fantastic powers, the knowledge that  
she was *nowhere* made him feel vulnerable and raw.  
His sense of isolation was exacerbated by the fact that he was the last of his kind. His was  
an ironic lot. People adored Superman. They admired him deeply and clustered around  
him whenever he appeared. But for all his admirers, there were others who feared and  
mistrusted him. Often times he came smack up against those feelings and the  
experiences left him completely unnerved.  
One thing was true. Nowhere in the conflicting miasma of emotional response did he ever  
find a feeling that he could even remotely call "home". He’d only felt that once, but it was  
a skewed reflection of a love that belonged to someone else.  
Awash in self-pity, he found himself thinking angrily of the events that lead him to this  
particular point in his life. On the one hand, it had been an astounding experience, heady  
and exhilarating in many ways. And on the other hand, it left him with a huge blank hole  
in his life. Knowing that his own counterpart had everything that he had ever yearned for  
made him feel empty and angry at times.  
Wells! He thought angrily. If only Wells had just stayed out of his life.  
As if his very thoughts had summoned the man, a time machine suddenly appeared in his  
living room. A very flustered and winded H.G. Wells stepped out of the machine.  
Clark instantly put his feelings of self pity and anger behind him. Wells would only have  
come if there were good reasons.  
"Is everything okay? Is Lois in danger … is Clark? Do you need my help?"  
Herbert looked at him for a long moment as if trying to decide what to say next.  
"Actually… I… I… I have… something… that is… someone… with me…"  
Brimming with agitation, Wells fiddled with the controls on his machine and lifted the  
passenger hood.  
Time stood completely still as Clark saw who that someone was.  
Lois Lane. She was unconscious and badly bruised, wearing an outfit that even under the  
most generous of descriptions could only be called skimpy. Clark moved in closer. Was  
she dead? His fine senses detected a heartbeat and he felt a surge of relief. Not dead. But  
badly harmed. His hands curled into fists as he struggled to control his growing rage.  
"Who did this to her?" His voice was deceptively calm.  
<<If Clark did this I’ll kill him.>>  
"I’ll tell you, but you need to know that this isn’t the Lois Lane that you know," Wells said  
hastily.  
"She’s from yet another universe?"  
"Well… in a matter of speaking," he said. "This Lois Lane is the one from your universe."  
"What? But… but that’s impossible. I looked everywhere for her. Everywhere! There is no  
possible way that she could have escaped my notice… I… where did you find her? What  
happened to her?"  
"You have to promise to stay calm," Wells said nervously.  
"Calm? You’ve just conjured – out of thin air, I might add – the one person who can make  
my life complete! I thought she was dead! I scoured the entire planet looking for her. I  
used every super sense at my disposal – even doing some really unpleasant graveyard  
checks … and nothing! Then you show up with her, unconscious and badly beaten, and  
you expect me to remain calm?"  
"I hesitate to continue until you get yourself under control," Wells replied gingerly. "This  
situation will require careful handling."  
"But –"  
"Clark. Please. I’m sorry — I know this is hard for you. It’s hard for me too. Her condition  
— her disappearance — both are completely my fault. I was trying to make sure Utopia  
happened, and in doing so, managed to consign this woman into a living hell. I –"  
"Okay. Look. I Promise. I’ll stay calm. But tell me now. What happened to her? Where was  
she?"  
Wells looked away, and with a heavy sigh sat down on the edge of the sofa. He motioned  
for the younger man to sit as well. Clark obliged in hopes that his compliance would bring  
about a quicker conclusion to this mystery.  
Wells heaved another heavy sigh. "Tempus took Lois out of this universe three years ago  
and brought her into an alternate one. He left her there with absolutely no means to get  
home. This particular alternate universe was… unpleasant… to say the least."  
"Unpleasant how?"  
"Kryptonians had overtaken the Earth. In that other universe your counterpart never came  
to Earth. He was sent to a world called New Krypton and raised with his own kind. He has  
become a cruel and heartless tyrant. He is the ruler of his people, and he engineered the  
takeover of Earth. He is rumored to have killed the Lois Lane in his world — she was a  
resistance fighter who caught his eye. I guessing I don’t need to tell you how he dealt with  
her before killing her." Clark grew horrified. How could that even be? He wasn’t capable of  
this kind of brutality. How could any variant of him be like this? What’s more — how could  
any variant of him kill a variant of her?  
"That’s… that’s… horrifying…"  
"Well – it gets worse," continued Wells grimly. "Lois … this Lois… caught his eye. He had  
been obsessed with the other one and regretted his hasty decision to kill her. Perhaps, in  
some sick way, it was the lure of their soul connection. Not all soul connections are  
benevolent, by the way. Her arrival into his world gave him a second chance…as it were. It  
wasn’t really all that hard for him to capture her… I mean, if you think about it – if you put  
your mind to it – nobody could really stop you from doing anything… anything at all."  
Wells trailed off, eyeing Clark with vague uneasiness. After witnessing first-hand the  
doppelganger’s actions, he was inclined to deal with Clark with a little more caution.  
"But – no! That isn’t true! What about Kryptonite? Why didn’t they just -"  
"They don’t know about it." He interrupted bleakly. He held up a pre-emptive hand. "And  
I’m not allowed to interfere at that grand scale. Once I found out about what Tempus had  
done, of course, I immediately went and got her. However, she has been in that universe  
for a long time. Three years in hell is an eternity. Three years of being at that madman’s  
mercy. And mercy is not exactly what he offered her."  
"All those bruises on her face… are his doing?" he asked, his heart sinking. The answer  
was, of course, obvious.  
"Yes. He knew how much force to exert to hurt her without …  
permanently damaging her. He’s a very sick and twisted man. He enjoys hurting people.  
Does it for kicks…" He paused uneasily. "I suspect it isn’t just her face with the bruises,  
and perhaps if you did an x-ray on her, you would find a … historical report of the abuses  
she has suffered."  
Clark was shaking his head agitatedly. He got up and started pacing the apartment.  
"I – I … *have* to go put an end to this. Take me to his world!! Please – I’m begging you –  
let me … let me put it right. I … have to put this right!!"  
"My boy – there are many Kryptonians in that world and only one of you. Even if you could  
persuade me to do this… you would need the other Clark’s help."  
"Then let’s do it! I … why are you shaking your head?"  
"I’m supposed to abide by certain rules. I brought her here because she belongs in this  
world. But this kind of interference is forbidden -"  
"You’ve interfered before. What difference can one more time make?"  
"Call it a … well… a prime directive, of sorts." Wells replied cautiously. "You see – Tempus  
and I are not the only time travelers in the multi-verse. In fact – there exists a group of  
individuals dedicated to protecting the integrity of the time stream. Their ultimate goal is  
to use time travel for observation only. Interference is vastly frowned upon."  
"Okay… but as I just said – you have interfered. Why hasn’t anyone stopped you or  
Tempus?"  
"Tempus is a very crafty fellow. The time … corps, if you will… have actually tried to  
subdue his efforts, but have only managed to make things worse. I think it suits them to  
have me chase around after him and concentrate my efforts on repairing his damage.  
Since his obsession is with you and Miss Lane, and since I also have made you two a  
priority, it makes sense in a twisted kind of way. I think the time corps thinks I’m as much  
a nuisance as Tempus."  
"Forgive me for saying this…but if that were the case, why don’t they just incarcerate  
you?"  
"Believe me, my boy, that thought has often crossed my mind. The only thing I can think  
of is that somehow our interference efforts are regarded as part of the ‘normal flow of  
things’. I don’t profess to really understand the paradoxical nature of time travel. I just  
act in a way that feels right. I have to believe that by following my instincts, I am  
somehow causing the correct ‘course of things’ to take effect. I realize this is irrational,  
but it feels right to foil Tempus’s attempts -and on the same token, it doesn’t feel right  
for me to do what you have asked." He concluded wearily, knowing full well that his  
explanation was far from satisfying.  
"I don’t agree with you Herb, and this isn’t the last you’ve heard from me on the subject,"  
Clark replied firmly. "However, we have more pressing concerns right now. Like… where  
do we go from here?"  
"Ah. Well yes. That will require some careful consideration. I… uh… drugged her by  
slipping a strong sedative into her food. She will continue to be unconscious for a few  
hours yet. You see – Lois wasn’t likely to trust me, nor was she likely to go quietly. I don’t  
need to tell you, I think, how formidable an opponent she can be. With her fighting skills,  
I’d probably be dead if I had tried to do this with her conscious."  
"I’m glad to hear she’s still a fighter. I mean. After all he did to her."  
"Kal-El did not succeed in breaking her spirit completely. Oh, she learned the tricks that  
enabled her to survive. Kal-El is a brutal man, and often struck out at her unpredictably –  
but there were certain predictable events which would made things even worse… making  
eye contact, venomous comments… she learned to play a certain role with him, and she  
learned to internalize much of what she felt. Honestly Clark, I have to say that I doubt you  
two will even be able to forge even a casual friendship in this lifetime, let alone  
anything… else."  
Clark looked compassionately at the woman lying in the time machine.  
"All that matters is that she’s back home, safe. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable…  
much as it pains me to even think it… I’ll just have to keep my distance."  
"Well, for now, I agree with you," Wells said briskly. "In fact… she shouldn’t be here in  
your apartment when she regains consciousness."  
Hours later, Lois woke up.  
She bleakly and carefully opened her eyes just enough to let the light in.  
<<Quiet as a mouse, and don’t even hint that you are awake>>  
Her surroundings confused her. Where was she? In a flash of recollection, she recognized  
the interior of the Metropolis hotel — having done several work-related stakeouts in  
rooms just like this one.  
<<How is this possible?>> "A-hem," Wells coughed nervously as he noticed the telltale  
change of her body as she transitioned from asleep to awake.  
Lois jerked upright. In an instant she was out of the bed, wincing as the pain lanced  
through her body.  
Sitting across the bed was an incongruous older man. His clothing made him appear as if  
he had stepped out of the 19th century. He was an anachronism, but … he didn’t appear  
to be a threat in any way.  
She eyed him with growing trepidation and decided that her best stance was an offensive  
one.  
"Who are you, and where the hell are we?" Her tone was clipped and angry. Unconsciously  
her body rearranged itself in a self- defensive stance.  
Wells regarded her with an equal amount of trepidation.  
"I’m…well, my name is Herb," he answered hurriedly. "And… I assure you, Miss Lane, I  
mean you absolutely no harm. You are most assuredly safe here."  
"I’ll be the judge of that," she informed him flatly. "Where are we? Why am I here? And  
other than being *Herb*… who are you?"  
"I’m… a writer, and an inter-dimensional time traveler. I… I’ve brought you home, Miss  
Lane. "  
Back at his apartment, Clark sat back on his sofa, stunned. Conflicting emotions  
bombarded him from every direction. He didn’t know what to think.  
He was terrified! While she had lain senseless in the time machine, he kept his eyes glued  
on her. He was terrified that if he looked away, she would vanish into thin air. Vanish.  
Cease to exist. Like she had before.  
He was full of self recrimination over his failure to consider that she might have been  
abducted by Tempus. Seeing how he couldn’t find a single trace of her, and seeing how  
Tempus had already pulled this very same stunt with the other Lois, he suddenly felt as if  
the answer had been staring him in the face. He had just been too stupid to see it.  
He was elated! He leapt to his feet in frustrated emotion. She was *alive*! First and  
foremost, he felt an intense and boundless joy at the realization that she was alive – alive  
and … after all these years… finally back in his world. He wanted to skywrite love  
sonnets… he wanted… he wanted to see her again! Desperately! Achingly! He felt himself  
elevate off the ground, as he thought of her endless beauty, both inner and outer. He  
wanted to be near her always… to drink in her beauty and spirit, and … to offer himself  
up as her most willing slave.  
Rage and shame returned with a vengeance at this thought. Slave. Concubine. That’s what  
she had been. He sobered up a bit as returned to the dark and ugly side to this situation.  
Yes, Lois was alive – but she wasn’t exactly *well*. In fact, she was shattered. The ordeal  
and victimization she had undergone had surely left indelible scars on her psyche.  
It was horrible for him to even think, for even a moment, that they could ever have any  
kind of friendly relationship. Shame engulfed him from all sides as he imagined himself  
approaching her romantically.  
Likely she would always loathe and fear him. How could she not? His doppelganger, from  
the sounds of it, had done a thorough job of making her despise and fear all Kryptonians.  
To be faced with a man wearing the same name, face and powers as her tormentor would  
be too much for her to overcome. He absolutely owed it to her to stay out of her way.  
He felt the ground hit his feet, and he stumbled at the unexpectedness of his landing. His  
dark thoughts had brought about his descent unconsciously. The idea of never holding  
her hand, never gazing into those gorgeous brown eyes, never arguing about a story, or  
about her cooking, or even HIS cooking… it hurt too much.  
And yet – what right did he have to expect ANY of those things from her? He had failed  
her in every way by not rescuing her from that other world.  
His thoughts suddenly turned to his dark twin. More than anything he wanted to go and  
liberate that world. He knew he’d be badly outnumbered, even if Alt-Lois gave Alt-Clark  
permission to help, but he didn’t care! The thought of this world living under the ruthless  
domination of his own doppelganger tore at his conscience. He felt that there had to be  
something he could do. The only way he’d ever get the chance would be if Wells changed  
his mind. He would have to work on that later.  
As Clark battered himself with his tortured ruminations, across town, Lois gaped H.G.  
Wells with an expression of hopeful shock and angry defensiveness.  
She was staggered at what she had just heard. She was home?  
The logical reporter part of her brain was screaming at her that it was all a trap or sick  
game… but her body and spirit knew the truth. The air felt … well… it felt right. It  
smoothed over her body like a warm and comforting embrace, rather than irritating her  
with its bumpy edges like it did in that other world.  
In short, she felt like she belonged. She hadn’t felt this way in three very long years. She  
just knew that somehow this odd little man was telling her the truth. She was home, and  
she was home to stay. No more Kal-El.  
The thought of never having to look at that cruel face was almost more than she could  
bear. She felt her body slip out of its defensive stance, and she collapsed weakly to sit on  
the bed – her body trembling violently, as she broke down into a cacophony of  
uncontrolled crying. After keeping herself in check for so long, she was overcome with the  
onslaught of feeling.  
Wells stood his ground resolutely. There was no hope for him offering her comfort, and  
he knew instinctively that she would shy away from any supporting touch. He waited in  
silence, respecting her need to purge herself of some of her more immediate emotions…  
and he had no doubt in his mind that she would spend a lot of time over the coming  
months just like this – a helpless captive to the tidal wave of reaction that would  
repeatedly rear up to consume her.  
She felt like she would break – her sobs racked her body with such an intense force. But  
eventually, after long moments, she finally managed to regain a semblance of control. Her  
sobs receded and she futilely wiped at the tears that had dripped down her face. Standing  
tall once again she faced this quiet man, loving him in that instant for the very simple fact  
that he had brought her home. Whoever he was, and whatever his agenda. Suddenly her  
reporter brain kicked in again and asked … what was his agenda? She eyed him, not as  
suspiciously as before, but curiously, and asked the question out loud.  
"Why am I here? And what role did you have in my initial abduction?" She kept her voice  
level, trying to treat this as an objective interview.  
"Ah … well… it is a long story. You were abducted by a man named Tempus and brought  
to a different universe. Tempus comes from the future… we can travel through time and  
dimension with a machine which I invented. Tempus is a criminally minded individual, but  
he lives in a time where humanity has embraced a utopian lifestyle… free of crime and  
suffering. He believes you had a lot to do with the development of that society and  
wanted to prevent you from creating it in this universe. "  
"How could anyone be so foolish as to suspect me of creating a Utopia? I don’t *create*  
things! I can’t cook! I can’t even grow plants… I… I’m certainly not an idealist… never  
have been… and never will be. Not after all I’ve been through or seen," she trailed off  
disbelievingly.  
"I can’t really address that Miss Lane. I can’t give away knowledge I have of your potential  
future, or the nature of your contributions to this noble end. But what I can tell you is that  
Tempus regards you as a serious threat to his preferred lifestyle and decided that this  
would be a fitting way of dealing with things."  
"Where is this ‘Tempus’ person?" Her ire was increasing again. "And how do I know he  
won’t bring me back there again? I can’t go back! I can’t! I’d die first. I’d… I can’t live like  
that – not ever again!"  
"Tempus is currently under control… but that is always a… dynamic situation. Uh… and  
there are as many of him as there are alternate Lois Lanes. But we are getting better at  
detecting and detaining him. I assure you, he would find it incredibly difficult, bordering  
on impossible, to take you again. And… well… there … well, there is someone in this  
world who would prevent that from happening. Who would be on the alert for Tempus’s  
interference in this time line and universe, and for any signs of you being in danger?"  
"And this someone is… you?"  
"No," he paused uneasily. He had to tell her. It wasn’t as if the world didn’t know about  
Kal-El or Clark Kent. Hidden identity wasn’t an option in this universe, and it was better  
she find out now than be confronted by it later. It would be less of a shock this way.  
"Miss Lane. I don’t wish to alarm you in any way. But you need to know this. Kal-El exists  
in this world. He lives on Earth after having been sent here as a baby. Loving and gentle  
humans raised him and instilled in him a loving heart and a desire to help others. His  
human name is Clark Kent… and he works as a reporter for the Daily Planet."  
Time froze. Almost instantly she felt the familiar veil of panic and despair settle on her  
like a very heavy cloak. Her skin was suddenly crawling and she felt that unpleasant and  
familiar wave of dread-induced nausea overtake her. Her skin became clammy as a  
fine sheen of sweat covered her body. Her limbs begin to tremble uncontrollably.  
<<My fault! I let my guard down! I shouldn’t have done that! I know better. I was *taught*  
to know better. How could I actually let myself believe I was free?>>  
She felt like she had been dealt a physical blow, a sensation with which she was all too  
familiar.  
"Miss Lane," Wells continued urgently, "I assure you – this man is nothing like the man you  
knew. He is as different from the other Kal-El as you can imagine. He would never hurt  
you or anyone else. It simply isn’t in his nature. He was raised by very loving parents, and  
he is a kind, caring and compassionate man who puts the well being of other people over  
his own needs. In fact, he acts as a protector of sorts – he takes care of people, he  
rescues them from danger."  
Lies. He’s telling me lies! I have to get out of here! I have to get away from this man. He  
works for Kal-El – somehow he works for Kal-El. This Kal-El must have known I was in  
that other world — and he wanted me brought back her for his own…. amusement. As  
these thoughts trickled through her mind, she started to believe them. She knew that the  
other Kal-El had held some twisted and bizarre fascination with her. She didn’t  
understand it, but she knew that it was what had enabled her to survive his cruelty.  
"You… you stay back!" Her voice held mounting panic. She was no longer able to hold her  
emotions in check. In blind terror, she took several panicked steps backward.  
"Miss Lane … really – this is all terribly unnecessary. You have nothing to fear – especially  
from me!"  
"I … What did you get out of this, Herb… if that really is your name? Are you even human?  
If so … you’re the worst kind of human. You’ve betrayed your own kind, pandering to that  
madman. It might serve you to be his minion now, but in the end… he’ll destroy you like  
he destroys everything and everyone that crosses his path!"  
Wells stared at her helplessly. For once, he was dumbfounded. He had no idea where to  
go from here.  
Her expression showed the depths of her despair and betrayal. Unable to hold back her  
emotions, she started to cry. "I … I trusted you," she whispered, her voice low and ragged.  
"Is this how you get your kicks? Do you know what it meant to me to think I was free of  
him? Do you know how it feels to now know that I never will be?"  
Lois watched in a confused daze as the strange man named Herb turned slowly and  
regretfully away from her and walked out the door.  
She sat heavily down on the bed. She waited many tense moments waiting for him to  
reappear, but he never did. She shook violently, her teeth chattering. She felt cold and  
very sick.  
<<I can’t stay here! I have to get out of here! This is the first place he’ll think to look>>  
She tore out of the room unheeding of the picture she presented. Her clothing was very  
outlandish … she still wore the flimsy garment of a concubine… garments he forced her  
to wear – and her face was all banged up. None of this mattered to her. She just had to  
get out of that room. If Herb was working for Kal-El, Kal- El would know where she was.  
The sooner she got out of there the better. Bitterly, she realized that if Kal-El did know  
where she was, he was likely playing a cat and mouse game with her. She was no stranger  
to his twisted tricks. However, her survival instinct refused to allow her to sit there waiting  
for him to show up. Galvanized by these thoughts she stood up and took flight.  
<<Hurry! Hurry!! Get out of here! I have to get out of here! I have to escape! >>  
The devil was on her heels as she dashed out of the hotel, shoving aside people in her  
blind and frantic haste.  
Once outside she stopped short. She stood still, breathing heavily from the exertion and  
panic. People gazed curiously at her but she ignored them completely. Instead she  
remained transfixed – awed by the sight before her.  
She took a deep long shuddering breath. Metropolis! Before her lay glorious, wondrous  
Metropolis and all its masses of denizens. All human. Going about their lives, rushing,  
swearing and carelessly talking on their cell phones. Not a single sign of Kryptonian  
influence. The buildings were all as she remembered, and as she stared, blinded by the  
suns reflection off the surrounding skyscrapers, she broke down into helpless tears.  
Still caught up in the euphoric sensation of being home and surrounded by her own kind,  
she dropped into a crouch and ran her fingernails across the pavement as if to make sure  
that this wasn’t some sick illusion. Her fingernails rasped roughly over the concrete and  
she looked at their jagged edges in bewildered joy. The sheer terror of a moment ago had  
made way for this new sensation and she stood for a long moment just soaking it all in.  
Slowly she returned to Earth gradually becoming aware of stares and the whispers. She  
looked down and realized that she looked a sight.  
<<I can’t go out like this>>  
She turned around and eyed the hotel doors uncertainly. It was actually pretty unlikely for  
Kal-El to come looking for her here. It was too public and too open. If he was laying low  
with his true intentions, surely an abduction from such a public place would be  
imprudent. Warily, she made her way back into the hotel.  
She wandered towards the stairs, preferring to avoid elevators… for the rest of her life if  
possible. Since her incarceration, tight enclosed spaces held absolutely no appeal for her.  
"Ma’am. Excuse me!"  
A uniformed hotel employee approached her and handed her a thick envelope.  
"You’re friend asked that we give you this envelope."  
"My friend?"  
"Yes. The… gentleman that … uh… you came in here with?" The attendant smiled nastily.  
She hated having prostitutes use this hotel for their business.  
<<Oh great. She thinks I’m a prostitute.>>  
Lois smiled icily at the attendant. "Thanks," she snapped, grabbing the envelope out of  
her hand. She walked slowly up the three flights of stairs that she had so recently run  
down. As hoped her door was still open – the way she had left it. Gingerly she stepped  
inside and looked in all the closets and other assorted hiding places. She was alone. On  
the bed was a casual change of clothes as well as comfortable footwear.  
<<He thought of everything.>>  
She opened the envelope curiously. Inside was her birth certificate, passport and an ATM  
card. She shook her head in amazement. She didn’t want to know how he had this stuff or  
how he knew her size. She fervently hoped that Kal-El had nothing to do with this. She  
shook her head of that thought – she didn’t have time for it right now. Now – it was time  
to take a very long and hot shower.  
Two hours later she stood once more outside the hotel doors far less conspicuously than  
before. She waited there for a few moments feeling lost and bewildered. Where would she  
go? What should she do first? Should she seek out her parents first? Lucy? She just wasn’t  
ready to deal with the intensity of their response nor was she ready to answer questions  
about where she had been and what she had endured.  
Perry? Yes. Perry! Of all these people, she wanted to see him the most.  
Her heart sank. She couldn’t go see him! He worked at the Daily Planet, along with that  
monster, Kal-El. She shook her head in disbelief. How could anyone believe that he was  
here for benevolent reasons? No doubt his stint as a reporter was part of his plan to  
delude the human race into thinking he wanted to be "one of them". She inhaled wearily.  
She had a very dangerous and difficult task ahead of her. Exposing the alien’s true  
intentions could cost her credibility, and even her life. But she knew that she couldn’t live  
with herself without at least trying. The world had to know. Kal-El was not to be trusted.  
She only hoped that there were other human beings out there who felt as she did…  
humans who had enough influence and power to make a difference. If they existed, she  
would find them.  
"Hey lady! Where too?" The taxi driver sounded impatient and irritated.  
"Uh… well…. Does… would you happen to know if Perry White is still the editor of the  
Daily Planet? "  
"Perry White is Mayor of Metropolis."  
Her heart skipped a beat in excitement. Perry was accessible to her now! She instructed  
the cab driver to take her to see the mayor, and settled back to compose her racing  
thoughts.  
Once the cab was underway, Lois ventured to ask the cab driver some questions.  
"Can I ask you a question? "  
"Shoot!" Wayne rarely liked to talk to his fares, but this woman was hot. Yea… her face  
was all banged up, but it was obvious that underneath it all she was a babe.  
"What do you think of Ka- uh… Clark Kent? You know… the – the alien?" She tried to  
sound casually interested.  
"Clark? Oh –you mean Superman? Aw — man… he’s great. He’s a real good guy. He rode  
in my cab a few times — you know… before he became famous."  
<<Superman? My god! The man is an egomaniac! Superman?? Didn’t anyone see the  
inherent and dangerous arrogance in calling oneself ‘Superman’?>>  
"Is that what he calls himself?" She struggled to keep the disbelief out of her tone.  
"Yah — everyone knows that. But I guess you’re from outta town — not knowing about  
Mayor White and all that…"  
"Yes. That’s exactly it. I have been out of the country in fact." It wasn’t exactly a lie, she  
reasoned. Out of the universe meant being out of the country as well.  
"Superman is a really cool guy. He’s an ordinary guy — ya know? He doesn’t act all high  
and mighty just because he can fly or bend steel … he’s like a normal human being. And  
he uses his powers to help everyone, so that’s pretty cool. The crime rate in Metropolis is  
lower than ever. This city is becoming the safest place to live! "  
"That’s… that’s really great. Do most people like him? Nobody finds him threatening in  
any way?"  
"Why would anyone find him threatening?"  
"Well — he could easily destroy the planet with those powers if he wanted to."  
"He’d never do that. He’s definitely a friendly alien. You know — like Mr. Spock."  
"Well… Mr. Spock was a fictional character. In real life power corrupts."  
"Not Superman. He’s incorruptible. Is that even a word? Non- corruptible?"  
She blew out her breath in exasperation. This wasn’t getting her very far.  
"What about the Mayor — does he like Superman? Or does he think that Superman  
oversteps his boundaries at times? Does Superman try to… make the laws, or change  
them in any way… you know — for the overall good of humanity?"  
"See that’s the really cool thing about Superman. He doesn’t break any laws and he  
doesn’t make any laws. The police and the mayor have kind of … deputized him. When he  
catches criminals, he doesn’t put them in jail — he calls the cops and they take care of the  
rest — you know –reading them their rights, putting ’em in jail — that sort of thing."  
<<He’s good. Real good. He really knows what he’s doing. Get them eating out of his  
hand… and then crush them. The question, though, is — why bother? With his powers, he  
doesn’t need to lull us into complacency. Does he feel outnumbered? Does he somehow  
feel threatened by the lack of fellow Kryptonians? And where do I fit into all this… surely  
he knows that I won’t be fooled by his act. Does he really know I’m even back — or did I  
seriously misjudge Herb? And if not, what will he do when he finds out I’m back? Wait.  
Can’t panic now. I guess the more people that see me, the better. The harder it will be for  
me to just … disappear.>>  
She pondered Kal-El’s possible motives in silence. Her determination to see Perry grew. If  
she could sway Perry to her side, she felt as if she would gain a valuable ally. One that  
could help her to expose this dormant threat.  
"Does… does he have a girlfriend?" She didn’t know why she was asking this. Maybe if she  
knew that he had a normal girlfriend in a normal relationship she would feel less …  
threatened. Of course — Kal-El’s marriage to Zara didn’t stop him from keeping her as his  
concubine. Didn’t stop him from brutally and repeatedly forcing himself on her! She  
gasped suddenly as the horrible memories threatened to surface. Resolutely she pushed  
them aside.  
<< I can’t … I can’t face that just now. I have to be strong. Just a little while longer. I have  
to be strong. >>  
"No. Well… maybe. I don’t know. He doesn’t talk about his private life at all. Even to his  
friends… coz his friends are all reporters, and if he did say something — it would  
definitely end up in the papers. He was engaged, but that broke up when he … well…  
came out of the alien closet. Hey — maybe he’s gay. That would certainly explain the  
tights and cape. Ah — doesn’t bother me… well — as long as he doesn’t get a crush on  
me — if you know what I mean!"  
"I… don’t think he’s gay," she said absently. So Kal-El had been engaged. Why had it  
ended? Had he done something to scare her off? Had he revealed his cruelty in the privacy  
of the bedroom? She would have to dig up more on this ex-fiancée and maybe see if she  
would be useful in her cause.  
"You interested?"  
"No… not interested. Just curious." She shuddered violently at the thought.  
"Nah — you’re interested. All the chicks are. Maybe that’s why he broke up his  
engagement. Why stick with one, when you can have them all! He’s like a rock star."  
"I… wouldn’t think I’d like getting involved with someone who can leave fingerprints in  
concrete," she said in a vain attempt at humor.  
"His fiancée didn’t look any worse for the wear. She was pretty hot so I’m sure they were  
doing it." He stopped when he saw her flinch. "Sorry, sometimes I forget myself."  
"No — actually… I’m curious about this. I… well… I’m a newspaper reporter myself."  
"Ah yea? What’s your name?"  
"Uh… Linda King."  
"Oh. Well — I don’t think I’ve read your stuff."  
"I’m new in town," she rebutted hastily, as the cab drove up to the curb. "Thanks… how  
much do I owe you?"  
She paid the driver and then exited the car. She slammed the cab door shut. Suddenly a  
violent wave of panic-induced nausea hit her and she reeled under its attack. She hadn’t  
really been aware of it, but while inside the vehicle, she had actually felt safe… cloistered  
and anonymous. She let out a mirthless laugh at that thought. It had been a false sense of  
security for sure. She knew he was out there… just watching and waiting — seeing and  
hearing everything he chose to see and hear. It was a sick cat-mouse game that she knew  
all too well. As she pondered this an ugly memory surfaced.  
It had been in the very early days of her captivity. Reeling from the horror of her new  
captivity she was determined to escape. She optimistically believed that if she could only  
find the alleged resistance fighters she would somehow be able to enlist their help in  
getting back home safely. After an unpleasant and horrifying ‘visit’ from her captor she  
had been left alone. She knew he was likely to leave her alone for at least several hours  
based on previous patterns of behavior. Weak and hurt, she summoned her strength and  
her will to attempt escape.  
It had seemed so easy — although she observed many Kryptonians from her various  
hiding places, none of them stopped her. Refusing to think that there was a logical reason  
for that, she preferred instead to think that her movements were furtive enough to go  
undetected. She had gone for hours — darting between one hiding place and the next…  
just trying to get herself to the "shuttle bay" so she could commandeer a shuttle and get  
back earthbound. How exactly she was going to do that was still unplanned… but it was  
better than remaining where she was. Anything was better than that. As she approached  
the shuttle bay she heard a low chuckle. Her flesh crept as the hair on the back of her  
neck stood up in sickened anticipation. She knew that laugh — knew it all too well. Knew  
and loathed it. Dread churned in her stomach.  
Kal-El floated down from where he had been hovering and watching her. She watched in  
stunned shock as he landed and slowly sauntered towards her. His movements were  
unhurried and deliberate and he had a very unpleasant smile on his face. He stood there  
and arranged his features so that he appeared sadly  
regretful.  
He shook his head as if admonishing a recalcitrant child for stealing a cookie. She held  
her breath, her eyes glued to his feet … she had learned by now not to make eye contact  
unless he demanded it. Failure to abide by his rules always resulted in harsh retaliation.  
As a result, because she wasn’t watching him, she wasn’t able to prepare herself for the  
blow. He had struck her effortlessly — a mere flick of his hand. Had he had been a human  
it would have felt like a gentle brushing. From him it felt like someone had hurled a pile of  
bricks at her. She staggered back under the blow and slammed her head on the wall  
before falling to the ground.  
"Look at me, human," he commanded in a deceptively calm voice. When she didn’t comply  
right away he followed his command with a menacing qualifier. "Now."  
Unwillingly and gingerly, she craned her head up to meet his gaze- fearful of what would  
come next.  
He shook his head again in mock regret. "Did you really think you would succeed? Don’t  
you know that you can never escape? I am Lord Kal-El. Ruler of Krypton and Earth. I could  
rule the whole universe if I wanted… and in time, I probably will. Did you think I wouldn’t  
notice? I notice everything about you slave and I would never let a slave of mine escape.  
You will be here for my amusement until you no longer amuse me…and I kill you. So,  
you’d better just make sure you continue to please me. I might be persuaded to release  
you once you get too ugly and old for me to be interested… but you have quite a few  
years before getting to that point. You will never escape me, slave. I see everything you  
do. I hear everything that you say. You won’t even be able to die without my permission,"  
he chided her gently.  
Lois had remained perfectly still – silently enduring the cruelty and truth behind his  
words. She hated herself for adding to his amusement by breaking down and crying. Her  
sense of despair was too great and her hope of ever escaping had dwindled to nothing.  
Her escape attempt had appeared successful only because he had wanted her to try to  
escape. Physical cruelty was only a small piece of the pie for him — psychological cruelty  
turned him on as well. Despairingly, she had turned her eyes away from him, seeking  
instead, the solace of the inanimate floor.  
"You may now tell me that you understand completely."  
She had hesitated too long and he kicked her effortlessly in the ribs. It actually hadn’t hurt  
– only because he had intended for it to be a reminder and foreboding of possible pain.  
"Tell me," he had commanded her firmly.  
"I… understand…completely," she had answered, her voice low and defeated.  
"Now, that wasn’t very respectful… was it? You need to answer in an appropriate tone  
when speaking to your lord and master. I won’t punish you for it now, but I really do  
expect you to remember these things." His had voice kept its even and calm modulation.  
"Again. Tell me you understand," he had urged her, crouching, so his face was close to  
hers.  
"I understand completely … my lord." Her voice had held a trace of venom that she  
couldn’t quite excise, but she was doing her best. She would do whatever she had to in  
order to survive… but… no one broke Lois Lane.  
Things had gone from bad to worse when he ….  
Lois shook her head violently to banish the memory, unable and unwilling to deal with  
where it would lead.  
<< I can’t think about this right now! I need to be calm and collected when I go up to see  
Perry. He can’t find out what’s happened. Not yet… I need time… time to figure out my  
next move. >>  
She took several long deep breaths and smoothed out her jeans. Not exactly the best  
outfit for going to see the Mayor, but the Mayor was, after all, like a father to her. She  
wasn’t here to impress him… or at least not yet. She couldn’t do or say anything that  
would mar her credibility – she would need it when she later tried to awaken him to the  
dormant Kryptonian threat.  
Resolutely she turned towards the building and entered. She looked on the map for the  
location of Perry’s office. Third floor. She briefly eyed the elevator, and then shook her  
head with a shudder. That would make her a very vulnerable sitting duck. Despite his  
immense power, this particular version of Kal- El appeared to be trying to appear  
benevolent. While she remained in full sight of others she was likely to be safe…an  
elevator would trap her in isolation and give him ample opportunity to take her.  
<<No more traps>>  
She heaved a sigh and entered the stairwell.  
The stairwell was deserted and dread settled on her like a very familiar and oppressive  
cloak. She ran very fast up the stairs – terrified that he would materialize at any moment.  
Her eyes cast anxiously in all directions fearing that she would find him hovering above  
somewhere… like before … taking his amusement in her feeble and futile resistance.  
She blew her breath out in relief and exertion as she reached the top stair. Her fingers  
were trembling violently and they fumbled clumsily on the doorknob as she frantically  
worked to get out of that deserted and creepy stairwell. She opened the door and stepped  
into the nicely manicured hallway.  
Depressed a little by the enormity of the task ahead of her, she slowly walked to Perry’s  
office. Now that she was actually here, she felt almost shy and sheepish about just  
walking in and announcing herself to be alive. What would she tell him? How could she  
possibly explain her absence?  
She knew that she had to keep her "other universe with the big bad Kryptonians" story  
quiet for now. Although Perry knew her to be a very intelligent and credible woman, that  
story would surely be too fantastic for him to swallow at first. Likely he would think she  
had developed some kind of psychosis that not only caused her to disappear… but also  
caused her to spout crazy nonsense about a man everyone seemed to idolize. Perhaps she  
could claim amnesia. Even better – she would say that a recent accident had blocked her  
memory of where she had been. Her battered and bruised exterior would certainly lend  
credence to that story.  
Taking a huge calming breath she turned the door knob and walked in.  
"I’d like to see Perry White," she informed the secretary in a tone that would brook no  
nonsense. It amazed her that after all these years of submissiveness she was still able to  
fall into her old pattern of assertiveness. It gave her hope for her own future.  
<< I am never broken.>>  
"And you have an appointment?"  
"Just tell him that Lois Lane is here to see him. He will want to see me. "  
The secretary looked at her scornfully. "You’ll have to do better than that. Lois Lane is  
widely known to be dead."  
"Rumors of my death have been wildly exaggerated," she snapped icily. "Let me assure  
you that if you turn me away and Perry later finds out… you’ll be out on your butt so fast  
you won’t know what hit you."  
"Whoever you are. The mayor is a very busy man. If you want to see him, you will have to  
make an appointment- hey! I told you! I’m going to call security!" The secretary was  
flustered and angry as Lois impatiently stalked past her. As she got up to make pursuit,  
Lois turned and said in a deadly tone, "I’m a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. If you try to stop  
me I can’t be sure I won’t kill you."  
Her tone was so intense and her stance so threatening that the secretary stepped back.  
"I’m going to call security."  
"Do that." Lois turned the knob to Perry’s inner sanctum and stepped in.  
"Gladys, I told you –," Perry snapped at the interruption. His expression changed from  
mild irritation to complete and total shock. He froze, staring at her in disbelief, unable to  
really comprehend that she was actually standing there.  
"Well… aren’t you going to say anything?" Her tone held false bravado and sauciness.  
"Lois? Darlin? Is… can it possibly be you? Is it really you this time?"  
She processed that response, and filed aside her confusion in regards to the ‘this time’  
comment. All could be explained later. For now… she was finally …  
<< Home. I hear you call my name… and it feels like home. >>  
"Oh! Oh! Mayor White! I’ve called Security… so don’t worry! They’ll remove this… person…  
from the premises as soon as they get here," Gladys said excitedly looking at Lois smugly,  
relieved to see that Perry wasn’t in any immediate danger.  
"All right, All right Gladys, calm down. I’d like you to meet Lois Lane," Perry said with a  
smile in his voice, enjoying his very annoying secretary’s discomfiture.  
"Lois… Lane? But … but… she’s dead!" Her voice was high and shrill. She hated being  
wrong.  
"I don’t feel dead," Lois muttered, feeling punchy. There was something so empowering  
about being able to say just about anything without fear of a swift and brutal reprisal. For  
that matter, just being referred to as Lois was music to hear ears after all those long years  
of being called ‘Slave’.  
"Gladys? Don’t you think you ought to call Security, and cancel your request?"  
"I’ll… go wait for them at my desk… and let them know it was a false alarm." Grudgingly  
she turned and walked haughtily out the door.  
"Told you so!" Lois’s voice sang out playfully as she delivered her final salvo.  
Gladys stiffly continued to her desk ignoring that last outburst.  
"Now, Lois," said Perry affectionately. "Please don’t make me have to find a new secretary!"  
"I’m sorry … I just couldn’t seem to help myself!" She smiled mischievously.  
"Are… are you really Lois Lane?" He gasped out wonderingly.  
"I really am Lois Lane," she said softly, "And I love hearing you say my name. Music to my  
ears."  
"Lois, Darlin. I thought you were dead. I honestly thought you were dead. We had no  
reason to keep searching — there wasn’t a stone left unturned." His voice was filled with  
remorse.  
"I know. Perry — I know. You did all you could," she hastily reassured him. He would never  
have been able to find her and she had to make him believe that without revealing her full  
story.  
"No — I need you to hear… you have to know! You… Superman — you know about him?  
He searched the world over — many times over. I had to…finally ask him to stop  
searching. I … couldn’t let him keep going after the impossible. Lois – what… what is it?"  
He stopped talking as he witnessed the color drain rapidly out of her face. Her cheerful  
façade faded, and she was left standing there, pale and trembling. "What did I say?"  
"Nothing… Nothing — I… I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed."  
"Lois, please — what did happen? Where have you been?"  
"I… just… <<I can’t lie to him>> I…can’t tell you what happened to me, not yet. I beg  
you to help me with a little prevarication. I’d like the world to believe that I just don’t  
remember the last three years. Please… support me in this. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t  
really important." Her voice was intense and passionate as she pleaded her case. She was  
also desperately trying to draw his attention away from her violent reaction at the news  
that Kal-El had actually spent time searching for her.  
<<What the hell is going on here? Why did he search for me? Is he stalking me?>>  
"Lois … I … don’t know what to say here. You can’t tell me where you were?"  
"Not…not yet," she answered quietly.  
"What about … why are you all bruised? Were you in an accident?"  
"I’m looking rather hideous, aren’t I?"  
"Hideous nothing! You remain the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen," he said gallantly.  
"Oh go on," she replied, forcing her tone to be teasing and light. "Oh Lois!" Perry got up  
out of his chair and rushed at her, intending to grab her into a big, welcoming embrace.  
In a flash she flinched violently away from him. Before she could check herself, she had  
taken several faltering and jerky steps backwards and was cringing with her hands raised  
protectively above her head. Her body language clearly said ‘Please don’t hurt me!’  
Perry stepped back, horrified. The Lois Lane he knew never flinched or cowered from  
anyone or anything. In fact, she was the most fearless and intrepid person that he had  
ever known. Although not prone to pointless reckless behavior, Lois had always been  
willing to sacrifice her personal safety for the greater truth. Silence hung between them  
for a very long moment.  
"God, Lois," he breathed in horror.  
"I… I — oh — I’m sorry, Perry. Ugh… I feel so ashamed!!!" It was a plaintive cry.  
<<Ashamed. I’m ashamed about so many things. Did you know I was a slave? Not much  
more than a nameless harem girl? Did you know I was submissive and cowed? Did you  
know how I begged for him to show me mercy? I … begged. I never beg! >>  
"I… I… Lois. What happened?"  
She stared at him in dismay for another heartbreakingly long moment. And then she  
decided. Perry needed the truth. Or some variant of the truth.  
"Perry. I was … held prisoner… these three years. Very bad things happened." She  
delivered her statement calmly and without rancor. She was trying hard to keep his  
emotional response under control. She felt she could maintain control only as long as he  
did. If he broke down… she would too.  
"You… you’re serious?" His voice held amazement.  
"Yes."  
"Lois — there is no question of my not believing you. But I just need to ask you again:  
There really was no accident? And you are really serious about this?"  
She sighed. "Yes."  
"Well — uh… I… I’m sorry for … scaring you like that. You know — I’m … you are like a  
daughter to me… in every sense of that word… and my feelings for you are fatherly. I…  
would never -" he trailed off awkwardly. He was never comfortable talking about this sort  
of thing, but he had to make it clear to her that of all the men in the world, he was one  
that she could turn to without hesitation.  
"Perry. I … it was an instinctive reaction. Nothing else. I am not afraid of you, nor do I ever  
think you could pose a threat to any woman. Let alone me. I have always thought of you  
as a father."  
He nodded uncomfortably. "Who did this to you?" His tone was firmer and no-nonsense as  
he moved into his protective mode.  
"I can’t tell you."  
"What? Why not? I’ll make sure he never sees the light of day again. This guy will be in  
prison until the day he dies," he responded hotly. Anger at what had happened was  
starting to grow at an alarming rate.  
She smiled at that while she shook her head. "You couldn’t touch them with a ten foot  
pole. Look — Perry — I only told you this because I … well… I just can’t lie to you. You are  
far too clever and you know me too well. I do intend to lie to my family and everyone else,  
and all I am asking from you, all I need right now, is for you to support me in that lie. …  
will you do it?"  
"I… Ok. I guess you have your reasons. I am sensing some serious ‘Lane’ stubbornness —  
and I’ve come up against that in the past. You are like a steel wall," he said with a quick  
laugh. "You really need to meet Superman. Man of steel, meet woman of …" he trailed off  
again, as once again, the color drained from her face. Twice that had happened … both  
times just after he mentioned Superman.  
"What is it?"  
"I’m… well — I’m sorry. This whole… Superman thing… just makes me uncomfortable."  
She smiled openly, trying to dispel any of his fears.  
Perry looked at her surprised. Xenophobia. Clark had actually mentioned to him that he  
had occasionally run up against people who hated and/or feared him for being an alien.  
Perry had found that difficult to fathom, and yet, the human race certainly had a history of  
trying to kill or cage that which it didn’t understand. As bizarre as it was, people did fear  
Superman and he knew that it tore Clark apart.  
It did surprise him to hear Lois spout such sentiments. She was the most open-minded  
person in the world when it came to things like this. Then he realized that her admission  
of what had happened could very well have changed her somewhat. She had been  
victimized and he supposed that he could see how the idea of a super powered and  
unstoppable man might make her a little leery.  
"You… have you met him?"  
"No! No… just heard the stories."  
"Lois. I know the man very well. He’s … well… I guess I kind of think of him as a son. He’s  
a fine reporter, and a very good man. He devotes a great deal of his time to helping the  
fight against crime."  
"Great. A super-human vigilante. Just what this city needs," she said, masking her fear  
with sarcasm.  
"He’s not a vigilante, Lois. He works with the police… he helps them apprehend criminals,  
and he stops crime as it happens…. Muggings, murders…ra- … you know… violent  
crimes. When others just turn a deaf ear, he’s always there, making the city a safer place  
to be — and he never violates anyone’s rights. Recently he ran into a problem where he  
tried to stop a man from battering his wife, and the wife threatened to press charges  
against him if he ever interfered again. It tore Clark apart to not respond to future  
incidents between the two of them – but he had to respect her wishes. To give him credit,  
he went after it in another perfectly legitimate way… he called the department of social  
services and begged them to get involved. Last I heard the husband had a restraining  
order not to go within 500 feet of his wife."  
"So he really didn’t respect her needs –"  
"He did exactly what YOU would have done," interrupted Perry forcefully as if daring her to  
deny it.  
Not being able to deny it… Lois certainly had been known to force her way into situations  
for the greater good, she picked up another bone to chew.  
"Well — what about the name… Superman. That implies a very superior attitude. He  
doesn’t consider himself one of his — he is superior. Better. And therefore he could easily  
convince himself that we need his leadership. His rule. Leading to his tyranny." Her voice  
became increasingly bitter as she continued down this path.  
<<Damn. I didn’t mean to get into this so quickly.>>  
"Uh, actually he was given that name by … a woman we all thought was you."  
"What?"  
"Before the world found out about his alien origins, a woman claiming to be you came into  
our lives. She looked exactly like you and had us all convinced. She was somehow  
involved in Clark revealing his alien origins. I don’t think he meant for people to know  
that Clark Kent and Superman were one and the same." He held up a preemptive hand. "I  
know. You’re thinking that indicates a deceptive nature, but you are wrong. Clark’s life  
has never been the same since people found out. He can’t go anywhere without being  
mobbed by people. He doesn’t even have the basic privilege of privacy that we all  
deserve." He paused to catch his breath.  
<<Privacy? What the hell does he know about lack of privacy — he with his x-ray vision,  
telepathy and super-hearing? How dare he expect privacy… when did I ever get privacy?  
My every thought, my every movement — always monitored by his people. By him! Well,  
okay, not him exactly — but someone very much like him!! He wants privacy? Hah! And  
what the hell is Perry talking about? Another Lois Lane? Is he delusional? Is everyone  
caught up in some mass hallucination surrounding this guy? >>  
Perry caught the intensity of her expression and only partially decoded it. "I’m not crazy,  
Lois. This really did happen. This woman acted like she knew us all. She… well… she  
became fast friends with Clark, and it actually caused him to lose his fiancée. Not a big  
loss, if you ask me. Lana was really shrill and hostile. A man should be allowed to be who  
he is… he shouldn’t have to hide it just to please a woman."  
"No one should have to subvert who they are just to please someone else," she agreed  
hotly.  
"No. No — I agree with you," he trailed off suddenly. Is that how it had been for her all  
these years?  
"Well, so what happened to this imposter of mine?" She was impatient to hear the rest of  
this story.  
"She… just disappeared. Clark said to me later that she went ‘home’. He said he wasn’t at  
liberty to explain further but he said that she wasn’t a force for evil, or anything."  
"That’s convenient," she snapped sarcastically. "For all you know, he killed her. Maybe she  
was a clone or something. Maybe his people are creating duplicates of human beings and  
replacing them. Didn’t it occur to you that something sinister might be going on?"  
<<Is this why I was taken away? Is Herb just full of garbage with that whole weird Utopia  
story? This just doesn’t fit! Is the problem with the puzzle, or the pieces?>>  
"Why… why did he look for me? You said…"  
"He… felt a connection with this other woman. He felt like somehow you two were  
‘supposed’ to meet and it didn’t happen because things had just gone wrong. He felt that  
… he … well… wanted to meet you."  
"Is that why he works at the Planet? Has he been… stalking me?"  
"No! He never even really knew much about you… until your double showed up. He was  
already a reporter at the Planet, and… then he found out all about you. He… he felt that if  
you were alive – he owed it to you to find you. He searched many times over — searched  
the whole world — and never really was willing to accept that you might be dead. But  
then… then… he finally accepted that you were…permanently gone. Your parents and I  
both approached him and asked him to stop. As long as he kept up his search, we  
couldn’t let you go. It was just too painful to watch." Perry stopped and sat down wearily  
on one of his office chairs. "Lois — if I hadn’t done that… he might have found you. I’m —  
I’m SO glad you are alive… but the idea that I short-circuited Clark’s search makes me  
feel responsible for what you went through."  
"Ka-Clark would never have been able to find me," she said determinedly. "I … was very  
well hidden."  
"Lois — he even checked recent graves in locations you were likely to have been. And by  
recent… well, I mean anything younger than three years. A man who was willing to do that  
would have done most anything… with the exception of hurting innocents — to get to  
you."  
<<This doesn’t make any sense. Perry — he’s been blinded… taken in. There is  
something very fishy and sinister going on. And more than ever, it’s obvious that Kal-El is  
somehow after me. >>  
"Perry… I don’t … trust this man. Please… if I disappear… like that other Lois… please …  
remember what I’ve said. I… don’t think someone with this kind of power can be trusted.  
He’s… he’s like a god, for crying out loud. Like of the Greek gods. Toying with our lives —  
like a game. Surely … surely you see that trusting someone so powerful is a folly which  
could mean… well…a complete loss of our freedom. Of our way of life as we know it."  
"Lois… I’ve heard these allegations before and I’m not buying it. There are many folks out  
there who think that he can’t possibly be as benevolent as he appears. Many who feel that  
he is the first wave of a much greater invasion. But why bother pretending to be our  
friend? What purpose would a race of supermen have in falsely trying to be nice? It doesn’t  
add up! He alone could enslave us all –" he stopped short, as she gasped.  
"Is… is that it? You were… kept captive… and… just can’t trust anyone who has the  
physical strength to …hold you captive again? I assure you — he … you would never need  
to fear unwelcome attention from this man."  
"You ASSURE me," she said caustically. Her strength lay in her anger and although she  
hated herself for unleashing it on her very good friend, she didn’t feel she had a choice.  
Greater things were at stake than one man’s feelings.  
"So if he did try anything… untoward… you would protect me? Stand up to his great  
strength? His heat-vision? Do you know what that would feel like? Being burned alive? Do  
you know how easily he could reduce you to a pile of ashes or broken bones? You know  
how your hand hurts when you punch someone hard? For him… it would be a mere hint of  
a movement, and you would be lying there dead. That kind of careless power should  
terrify you! What happened to the Perry White that I knew? You’ve been completely  
taken in by a charismatic alien. Oh sure — he’s handsome, and speaks a good story. ‘I  
come in peace! Let me prove it by saving your life a few times.’ Oh please! It’s all a ruse —  
a ruse to draw us all in until he loses interest in his little game. He’s trifling with us! He’s  
having fun with us! When it’s over he’ll start playing a different and more deadly game!  
And it will be too late to do anything about! Now is the time to build up our defenses… to  
find his weaknesses!" She was fully out of control at this point, all but shouting at her  
former boss.  
Perry stared at her in astonishment. Where had all this vituperative emotion come from?  
Why did she channel it all towards Clark? A dark and ugly suspicion formed in his mind.  
Before brushing it impatiently away, it burned itself into his neurons — taking root amidst  
all of Perry’s good will towards the man.  
<<What if it really is a ruse? Could Superman have set up that whole search as a decoy?  
Was he behind her disappearance? Did he do this to her? Kidnap, hold her prisoner, and  
rape her? Are there others like him? Was she kidnapped by aliens??? Was she cloned… is  
that who that other Lois was? And… was that clone destroyed when she ceased to be  
useful? Is THIS Lois a clone?>>  
Perry gasped under the onslaught of dark suspicions.  
<<Pull yourself together! You have always trusted this man and he has always been a  
good friend. >>  
"Perry?" she started to ask in a small voice. "I — I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those  
things to you. You’re … my best friend and I never meant to be hurtful."  
"Lois — I know… I know you never meant to hurt me. I- I just… I don’t know what to say  
— or think. Honestly, it would help if you told me the details of where you’ve been. Was…  
Clark involved?" He held his breath, waiting for her answer. An answer that could change  
the world.  
She hesitated a long moment. Here was her chance. She could blame Clark for everything.  
Expose him for the vicious and sadistic brute that he surely must be. Say that ‘yes’, he  
kidnapped her, and raped her, and beat her… and… and no. She couldn’t do it. He wasn’t  
the man who did these things to her. Although she believed him to be just like his  
counterpart, her conscience wouldn’t let her falsely accuse him.  
"I’ve never met him," she answered truthfully, "but I’ve been at the mercy of powerful men  
and I know that power corrupts."  
"Lois," he shook his head sadly, "I have to disagree with you there. There are good people  
out there with power. Superman happens to be one of those people. I wish — well…I wish  
I could convince you of that. However, I know you too well — you will have to come to  
your conclusions independently. I hope that you will one day see that this man is without  
compare — he is a good man, one that we never will need to fear. I’d stake my life on  
that."  
"Perry… I’m afraid you just did." Her voice held bitterness and resignation. Her support  
would not come from this camp, but she would continue to fight what she considered to  
be the good fight.  
Lois walked past Gladys without even pausing to give her the time of day. The woman  
really irritated her and she saw no reason to be civil.  
<<I never have to be nice to people I don’t like. Never again.>>  
She had parted with Perry on friendly terms despite their heated discussion. Leaving him  
with a promise to be in touch soon, she went to reacquaint herself with her family.  
The reunion was heart-stoppingly wonderful. Her parents had been absolutely  
overwhelmed with joy once she had convinced them that she was really their daughter.  
Lucy had just broken down into helpless tears. Lois hedged about her whereabouts, trying  
out her amnesia story on them. Her mother seemed inclined to believe what she said, and  
so did Lucy. Her father had given her an odd and suspicious look- but hadn’t really  
pressed her for a more plausible explanation. Instead he had let her know that she could  
turn to him if she needed to talk with anyone, and of course, the whole family suggested  
therapy to get her memory back. She promised she was working with doctors to that end,  
and that all would be well.  
She hadn’t tried to plant seeds of suspicion against Superman because she knew that  
would be futile — they were staunch Superman-supporters, especially as he had searched  
so extensively for Lois. In their eyes he could do no wrong. They had even wanted to yell  
out the window for him, but she rapidly nipped that in the bud saying that when she met  
him, she wanted to look her best.  
She left her family feeling more centered. They would never really know how truly happy  
she was to see them again. For three long years, she lived without love or even friendship.  
The outpouring of both had threatened to break through her very tough defenses. Her  
family had misinterpreted her reaction and had just assumed her tears were an  
expression of her relief and joy at being reunited.  
She had a place to stay… until she was back on her feet, she would live with Lucy. That  
made a lot of sense. For one thing, she was terrified to be alone. Alone, her memories  
would come and entomb her… dragging her back to that living nightmare. Her tormentor  
might be a universe away, but as long as she could summon him into her thoughts, he  
would always be with her. Additionally, she was afraid that this universe’s version of Kal-  
El was just waiting for an opportunity to do something nefarious to her. As long as she  
stayed in a crowd… even a crowd of two… she was probably in no immediate danger. She  
was counting on his need to appear benevolent.  
Meanwhile, Perry sat back in his office feeling staggered and drained. He had no idea what  
to believe or what to do with the information gleaned from Lois about her whereabouts.  
He sat for a long while trying to figure out whether Superman could somehow have been  
involved in all this – and in the end, decided that it was impossible. He decided to call  
Superman over and let him know that Lois was back. The man had sacrificed a lot of time  
and energy looking for her, and he deserved to know that she was alive.  
He picked up the phone and dialed Clark’s extension at the Daily Planet. Due to Clark’s  
celebrity status his direct line was a privately held secret — but Perry was one of the ‘in  
crowd’ who were able to contact him without going through a very tough receptionist  
first.  
"Kent here," Clark answered in a friendly tone. He just knew it was Perry and he figured  
that Lois had probably reacquainted herself with Perry by now.  
"Hi Clark! Perry White. Listen… I hate to do this, but I really need to talk to you. Can you  
come by my office as soon as possible? I know you’re busy — I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t  
really important."  
"Yea — sure," Clark said amiably. He knew what Perry had to tell him but he didn’t want to  
say so over the phone. "Uh… door or window?" This was his way of asking in what  
capacity Perry needed him. Did he want Clark or Superman?  
"Your choice. "  
"Window, then. It’s quicker. "  
Seconds later he was hovering outside Perry’s office. Perry had just gotten up to open the  
window.  
"You are incredibly fast. I keep getting caught off guard by that!" Perry smiled at the  
younger man.  
"Well… you did say that it was really important," he grinned, "I could learn to fly a bit  
slower – if that would make you feel better!"  
"No, No. I’m not complaining — not by a long shot. Your speed has saved my tail a time  
or two. Come — sit down…"  
"One sec…" Superman whirled into Clark, using a trick he’d learned from his "brother". "I  
feel more comfortable like this, and if Gladys walks in I don’t want her to get all tongue  
tied."  
"Well… you know, it’s that suit, Clark… women…. well, I don’t think they can help  
themselves."  
"Very funny. Now what did you want me here for, that was so important," he asked,  
changing the subject from his physical attributes. As public a figure as he was, he really  
hated close personal attention. It made him nervous. Old habits were very hard to break  
and after hiding his origins for so long, he was still kind of daunted with the reality of  
everyone knowing about him.  
All those eyes on him made him feel very self-conscious and uncomfortable. Yes, the suit  
was revealing, but the whole point behind that was to make a dramatic distinction  
between the Man and the Superman. Unfortunately, due to Tempus’s interference, this  
distinction had proved unnecessary. Still, it was useful to have people perceive him  
differently when he was in his Clark persona. It was hard for people to talk to him in his  
role as ‘reporter’ if they were focusing on his being this larger-than- life superhero/alien.  
"I – have some very astounding news for you. Lois Lane is alive and I just saw her."  
"I… I know."  
"How the hell… oh — did you… did you see her in here – or hear us talking?"  
"No! And if I did, I hope you’d tell me off. That would be pretty unforgivable. Perry, I -"  
Clark stated agitatedly, hurt by Perry’s assumption.  
"Clark — You don’t spy… I know. I’m sorry. That was low handed of me. So, uh- how did  
you know?"  
Clark sat back quietly. He didn’t really want to tell any lies… and yet, he didn’t really know  
what else he could do.  
"Well… I saw her after she returned."  
"Did she see you?"  
"No."  
"Oh. Well… she doesn’t want to reveal where she’s been, but she told me in confidence  
that she had been kidnapped and held prisoner for all these years. She said ‘bad things’  
happened, which to me points to some pretty ugly conclusions." Perry paused. "Look —  
this is confidential, right? She’ll kill me if she knows I told you. I’m only telling you  
because … I know you can help me get to the bottom of this."  
"Of — of course. Did she say any more than that?" Clark was stalling for time. What would  
he say? He started to feel a mild sense of panic — like he was somehow under a great  
microscope. Perry was a very sharp and observant man. He hadn’t been a crack reporter  
all those years for nothing!  
"No — she was very vague about the whole thing. She did seem to have an aversion to  
you, however — and I didn’t really understand that." Perry delivered this news  
apologetically. He felt guilty about introducing it this way but Clark’s reaction would end  
up revealing a host of important information.  
"Oh?"  
"Do … do you know anything about her disappearance or her whereabouts? I know you  
looked hard for her — but… it seems… you just seem unsurprised to hear that she’s  
alive," Perry relentlessly stuck to his point.  
"You are a little too observant," Clark complained. "It — I can’t really talk to you about this  
because … it’s her… it’s not what she would want."  
"Did you rescue her?"  
"No. Until yesterday, I had no idea where she was."  
"But now you do."  
"Well… yes."  
"And…"  
"Look — I’m really sorry. I just — I can’t say anything." Clark was beginning to get really  
uncomfortable. His honesty would be the death of him. It was time he cut this meeting  
short.  
"You know, she … seems to fear you quite a bit," he said apologetically, still digging for  
information.  
Clark sighed. "Yes. I know, and I’m actually — well … I’m planning on leaving the Daily  
Planet. It was hers before… and I don’t want her to feel awkwardly about going back  
there."  
"I’m… really sorry to hear that. But…why would she even have a reason to feel that way  
about you?"  
"Perry. I can’t talk to you about this."  
"You won’t even tell me how you knew she was back?"  
"I can’t."  
"Is this related somehow to that other Lois?"  
"Loosely."  
"Clark… was Lois kidnapped by aliens?"  
Since Tempus was human, Clark was able to answer truthfully. "No."  
"Was she held captive by aliens?"  
Clark stared at him in wonder. No wonder this guy was so widely respected. He was one  
of the most intelligent men Clark had ever met, despite all the Elvis references and  
predispositions to wearing ugly suits.  
"Well…"  
"She was held captive by aliens?"  
"You know, it’s a good thing she isn’t interested in talking to me, because she would  
certainly kill me for this," Clark sighed in frustration.  
"What kind of aliens –"  
"Perry — I have to leave. This line of conversation is going to force me to reveal things  
that Lois clearly doesn’t want you to know." His tone was very firm and clipped, and he  
spun back into his suit and made for the window. "But for what it’s worth, I didn’t have  
anything to do with her disappearance. I didn’t kidnap her or do any of those other  
terrible things."  
"Wait… son! I – I don’t doubt you, and I wasn’t trying to accuse you of anything –"  
"I know — I know," he said hastily, "but you are trying to push me into saying more than I  
can say right now. I understand — you love this woman — she is very special to you. You  
want to protect her and possibly to avenge what happened. I actually understand that  
more than you know. However, I can’t oppose her wishes on this matter. I can tell you  
this: she has been through hell. She’s been treated like garbage and her wishes have been  
violated non-stop for the last three years. We owe it to her to respect her feelings and to  
let her set the pace."  
Perry watched the younger man in admiration and frustration. One thing was for sure – he  
knew Clark was telling the truth. He knew that Superman had not hurt Lois in any way,  
and yet — he couldn’t figure out how the pieces all fit together. He didn’t like not  
knowing the full story. His every molecule urged him to investigate and dig out the truth  
— but he knew that Superman was correct. Lois needed time and space, and if he truly  
loved her, he would give her what she needed.  
After Superman left, Perry sat down and pondered some more. He might not be able to  
dig out the truth, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it.  
Superman had all but admitted that Lois had been captured by aliens. What exactly had  
they done to her? He blew out his breath out in aggravation. Then another scary thought  
occurred to him.  
<<What if the aliens were from the same world as Superman? More Kryptonians?  
Kidnapping earthlings? Doing god knows what to them. But wouldn’t Superman warn the  
world if this were true. For that matter, if any aliens were kidnapping earthlings, wouldn’t  
Superman stop them? Is this why he couldn’t find her — she wasn’t anywhere on earth?  
How did he find out where she was, or that she was back? He said he found out yesterday  
–what happened yesterday? Oh Lois – why can’t you just tell me?>>  
Lois began researching Superman by looking up information about him on the Internet.  
The sheer volume of websites was daunting, but she was relieved to find a reasonably  
proportional number of anti-superman sites in the mix.  
<< He hasn’t fooled everyone. >>  
She came across pictures of young Clark and his parents — cute shots of a popular farm  
couple and their nice young son. He looked… happy. He was a normal, human-like, happy  
boy. Guilt trickled in and she tamped it back ferociously.  
<<Okay — so what? So he was seemingly nice little boy. I know that Kryptonians don’t get  
their powers until puberty. He might not have even known what his ultimate mission was  
at that point. Probably so — who would entrust a child with information you wanted kept  
secret? And didn’t his parents die? He probably killed them. >>  
As if on cue she clicked on a link which showed her a picture taken a few years after the  
one with the family. It was a funeral shot. The boy stood there, forlorn, lost and  
devastated. The camera had caught his face in a tight close-up, and there was really no  
mistaking the anguish and confusion — that painful realization that he was alone in the  
world.  
Against her wishes, her heart went out to this boy of long ago. Her parents had had  
enough rocky roads to give her the memories of some deeply lonely and scary times. But  
at least she had had parents. Hard as she willed her heart to be, she found it increasingly  
hard to convince herself that the young Clark had murdered his parents. They had died in  
a tragic car crash — he wasn’t even in the car. He was only 13 at the time, and from what  
she knew of the young Kryptonians born on Earth, 13 would have been too young an age  
for him to have been able to hurt them in the car from a distance. No, it was likely that his  
parents had really died accidentally.  
<<Unless, the other Kryptonians killed them! How easy would that have been? A little heat  
vision from above severing a brake cable, and presto… instant car accident! >>  
Her heart raced at this exciting new line of thought. She could be on to something really,  
really important.  
She sat back and pondered.  
<< Okay. Assume that Kryptonians did kill the Kents. Why would they do that? Introduce  
Kal-El into the ranks of humanity so that humans grow to trust and like him. He gains the  
respect and love of small town people, which later will be useful to him in gaining the  
trust of others. The boy’s powers start manifesting and growing. Rather than dealing with  
the possibility of the  
Kent’s revealing his oddity to others, or worse, trying to eliminate the boy for being an  
agent of Satan — because, let’s face it… we all know how kooky small town folks are, they  
kill the Kents — silencing them forever. This is doubly useful,  
because not only are they able to easily reclaim the boy and teach him about his heritage  
and ‘duty’, they also turn him into the one thing the human race seems unable to resist: a  
pathetic orphan. >>  
Fortified by her discovery, Lois decided she needed some air. Once outside, she immersed  
herself happily in the sensory experience of the city. The other world had been so devoid  
of humanity that she absolutely craved this chaos. In that other world — the other  
humans she encountered had been broken-down slaves like herself.  
Additionally it had been impossible to forge relationships because she was the only  
female slave that survived more than a few months. She remembered the first time a  
fellow slave in the ‘harem’ had disappeared. It took her days to summon the courage to  
ask what had happened. Another slave had told her in hushed tones that Lord Nor had  
used too much force with her — killing her unwittingly.  
The contrast here was startling. The eyes of her fellow slaves had been haunted and  
desolate, while these people showed such a huge variety of emotions — running the  
entire gamut. People weren’t afraid! Although there were haunted and broken people in  
this world, they didn’t dominate the landscape.  
As she pondered the contrasts, she noticed a sudden change in the crowd around her.  
People had stopped in their tracks and were talking excitedly while pointing at the sky.  
Dread trickled down her spine as she craned her neck skyward. It was this so- called  
Superman — flying overhead in the sky — high above the humans he would one day  
control.  
She fought back waves of nausea and forced herself to remain where she was. She refused  
to distinguish herself from this oh-so safe and anonymous crowd of humanity and draw  
unwanted attention to herself. As she stood there, she pondered the spell he appeared to  
have on the rest of the people around her.  
<<What the hell is wrong with these people? How is it that nobody here sees the inherent  
superiority in his behavior? Flying high in the sky… too good to hang with us mere  
mortals! He goes by the name Superman — for crying out loud. >>  
While her familiar thoughts were rolling through her brain, another meeker ‘voice’ joined  
in.  
<<But… to be fair… why wouldn’t he fly? It makes sense that he would use flight to get  
from one spot to another. And he actually does hang around with mere mortals — he’s a  
reporter… he is accountable to a human boss. Doesn’t that say anything in support of his  
being a different kind of man from Kal-El?>>  
Lois frowned in disgust at this new little voice. This was just what she didn’t need. Self-  
doubt was a dangerous thing — especially in an investigation. You could find yourself  
running around in circles… thrashing… unable to make any progress. Suspicion started to  
grow in her mind. Kryptonians were telepaths… could he be planting these thoughts in  
her head? Maybe that is how he was controlling the rest of these people.  
<<If that were true, why wouldn’t he be controlling me completely?>>  
Above her, Superman furtively watched the object of his long-time obsession. His soul-  
mate. She was breathtaking. He felt an incredible pull towards her — a strong yearning to  
meet her face to face. But that could never happen. She hated him and feared him. Likely  
she would try to discredit and destroy him. He sighed inwardly.  
<<I can’t do this. I can’t forget myself. She isn’t anyone I can ever be with — I should stop  
hoping. I have to forget her — she’s home and safe, and that is all that matters. >>  
To her untrained eye he seemed to be slowing down. Did he know that she was down  
here? Was he watching her? Panicking suddenly, it occurred to her that he really could  
take her away with him, right here in broad daylight. Who would even think anything odd  
was going on? They might just think she was a friend and he was giving her a lift. There  
was so much city related noise – would anyone hear her screams of protest?  
Weren’t people were kidnapped in broad daylight all the time? The world started to spin  
and her panic intensified. She could not endure this kind of captivity again. Having tasted  
freedom she knew she could never go back — it would be the death of her. She turned  
abruptly and blindly pushed forward – hoping somehow to get lost in the crowd. Unseeing  
and unheeding, she headed into the oncoming traffic. Horns blared at her — but she was  
senseless of them – lost once more in her memories of another time when she wandered  
through the streets of Metropolis.  
She had been confused and disoriented after Tempus had brought her to that world, and  
she walked the deserted city streets, wondering what the hell had happened to her town.  
The strangest thing was that there was an ominous and deadly silence in a city that was  
NEVER quiet and deserted. Where were all the people? She felt a hand grab her arm  
tightly. She turned angrily to the source, and saw a grim looking man in a black bodysuit.  
He had spoken to her in strangely-accented English.  
"My lord and master demands that we take you to him. I… I’m sorry."  
"What are you talking about? Who are you? Who the hell is your Lord and Master, and what  
does he want with me?"  
"My Lord seeks you as his concubine. I have to comply."  
"A what?" Her voice was laced with disbelief. "Is this some kind of hoax? Who are you? And  
LET GO OF MY ARM!"  
"My name is Ching," he said. "I … I am oath-sworn to Lord Kal-El and Lady Zara." His grip  
on her arm was unbreakable.  
"Who or what is Lord Kal-El?" Her voice was icy and contemptuous. She was afraid…very  
afraid, and it was in these times that her venomous façade was most useful.  
"We are Kryptonians. My lord has… conquered this world. He commands your presence."  
Her struggles futile against his unbelievable strength. He pushed her into a flyer shuttle  
and secured the doors.  
Ignoring her demands for freedom, Ching resolutely refused to even look at her. Instead,  
he concentrated on manipulating this strange machine. Shortly, the shuttle docked in a  
very large spaceship. Lois could not believe she was being kidnapped by aliens. As yet,  
she still did not really understand the true dangerous nature of this situation.  
Moments later, she had found herself in the presence of one of the most handsome men  
she had ever seen. Tall and imposing, he sat in a chair on a high platform. There was a  
cruelty in his eyes that made her heart sink. She had met some implacable foes in her  
time — but none had frightened her as much as this man.  
"My Lord. This is the woman." Ching was humble before this strange man. "Does she  
please you?"  
"She does. Have her taken and made ready for me."  
"Who the hell are you?" She was furious, and her voice held venom. "If you don’t let me go,  
I promise you, there will be hell to pay. I’ll rip your throat out. I’ll rip your… hey! Let me  
go!"  
As easy as she had been brought to his presence, the man called Ching dragged her away.  
"I’m sorry. I have no wish to see this happen, but if I disobey, I will be tried for treason. I  
have to protect the Lady Zara, and as long as she remains by his side, I have to do the  
same. It will be in your best interests to learn to be humble in his presence. He … he is a  
cruel master and never brooks disobedience. The sooner you learn that, the better off you  
will be."  
She had stared at him in shock, unable to even believe that this was really happening.  
Later, she was taken to a luxurious room to await her evil captor. When he had finally  
arrived, he had —  
She was shocked out of her dark and unwilling reminisces by the sounds of cars honking  
and tires screeching. She realized in shock that she had wandered out into the street in  
her panic to escape his notice. Dimly she saw a truck headed right at her honking  
furiously. The stopping distance was such that she didn’t stand a chance. Suddenly she  
felt a rush of wind, and he was there.  
Superman had stopped the truck and was standing no more than two feet away from her.  
She kept her eyes glued to the ground, terrified to make eye contact. Kal-El had always  
been brutal with her when she looked into his face without his permission. She had  
learned early only to do so when commanded.  
Clark looked at her uneasily. His heart had nearly stopped when he saw that big truck  
headed her way.  
<< I’ll just ask if she’s all right. That can’t hurt. Right?>>  
"Are… are you okay?"  
He was talking to her! She could feel her heartbeat quicken and she battled with herself as  
to whether or not she should look up at him.  
"Miss? Are you okay?"  
Supposing that could pass as a command, she gingerly raised her head and made eye  
contact with him. Her expression was anxious and fearful and she stared at him for what  
seemed like an eternity.  
<< Oh God. Him. Kal-El. This is him. No mistaking it — he has the same face — the same  
… body… the body which — no- I can’t think of that! Not now — he’ll win if I do! Go  
away! Please — please go away — and don’t hurt me! >>  
Unable to maintain eye contact any longer, she looked down again.  
<<Safer, if I don’t see him. Oh — oh god, but he didn’t say I could look away — he – >>  
"Do you require any further assistance?" He was all but begging her to reply.  
One reply — and then he could be off. This unpleasant confrontation could be over. Her  
panic was infectious and he was starting to feel it as if it were his own.  
*** Please answer, he begged mentally. I know you’re scared… and I understand — but I  
can’t go away until you look, and tell me that you’re fine. ***  
She was startled to hear his thoughts. He was actually communicating with her  
telepathically — and it didn’t give her the searing headache that communicating with Kal-  
El this way had given her. She shook her head — this was clearly some weird trick of his  
and she knew better than to fall prey to it. Emboldened by the crowd, she raised her eyes  
once again. It was unlikely he would lash out at her here.  
<<I don’t feel like he means me any harm. I can’t let that influence my actions. He is  
dangerous, he just doesn’t want me to think he is.>>  
"I …I’m fine." Her voice and her gaze were even, but she knew her heart was beating too  
fast for normal — and that he was well aware of it. She noticed vaguely that his eyes were  
not anything like Kal-El’s. While he looked and sounded a lot like that other man, his eyes  
were devoid of cruelty and burned into hers a naked plea. She felt as if he was trying to  
open his soul to her with a single look.  
"Glad to hear it." He nodded formally at her in farewell and took off. A huge crowd had  
gathered around, but they weren’t paying her much attention — it was Superman who  
commanded their attention. She gazed up at the sky, deep in thought.  
<< He’s different from Kal-El. Kal-El used to carry himself with a deliberate and cruel…  
grace. This man’s body language was completely non-threatening. And his voice… it’s the  
same — but so different. He doesn’t sound cruel. He just doesn’t look cruel. But he isn’t  
different. He can’t be. He’s just really good at playing this role. >>  
After saving Lois from her near-death encounter Clark flew home in a daze. Foremost, he  
was reeling from the impact of her very palpable terror — terror that had been directed at  
him. It horrified him to his core to see how afraid she was to even make eye contact with  
him, and when she did, her eyes clearly showed that she expected some kind of violent  
retribution.  
He had seen victims of abuse before, and he knew that after being so completely broken  
down, abuse victims were often unable to do the things most people take for granted like  
initiate a conversation, make eye contact or even express an opinion. Three years she had  
been tortured by his exact double.  
<< No wonder she was terrified. And I made it worse… I pretty much forced her to talk to  
me. Did I come across as imperious? I just — I just wanted to see if she was okay. I’m  
such a liar. I wanted her to look at me, to talk to me… to really see me. I just wanted to be  
able to look into those beautiful eyes. Because I love her. >>  
Somewhere in the core of his soul he felt the truth. He loved her and he was finally able to  
see that what he had felt for that other Lois was merely a reflection of this truer feeling.  
He cared deeply for alt-Lois, but his romantic love for her had disappeared and  
transferred to this other woman in an instant.  
<<How can I love her? That doesn’t make sense — I don’t know her! But… maybe I do.  
I’ve met her family, her friends, talked in detail with them in hopes of getting clues of her  
whereabouts. Most importantly, I’ve read her work — and she poured her very soul into  
her work. >>  
He felt a surge of regret. Regardless of his feelings – she would never reciprocate them. It  
was all too likely she would spend the rest of her life hoping never to see him again. How  
could she ever look at him and not see that other Kal-El layered on top of him? How could  
she hear his voice, without hearing the other’s cruel commands and jeers? How could he  
ever hope to touch her, without her remembering that other brutal and sadistic touch?  
Hell, it was unlikely she wanted to be near ANY man right now, other than her father and  
Perry… but even if she was ever able to heal from that dreadful ordeal, she wouldn’t be so  
foolish as to choose her tormentor’s doppelganger for her lover.  
<<I have to be strong — strong for us both. I can’t ever let her know my feelings. I can’t  
ever even hint at them or show any signs of jealousy when she ends up involved with  
someone else. Maybe in the next lifetime, but this time around… it just isn’t meant to be.  
>>  
Those thoughts made him want to break down and cry. He hadn’t felt so desolate, lonely  
and empty since his parents died. The departure of the other Lois had left him feeling  
pretty low — but he had still held out hope that he might find the Lois from this world.  
Now that he had, he felt a deep hopelessness.  
<< She will never love me>>  
Lois headed back to Lucy’s apartment as fast as she could. She was very shaken up from  
her encounter with Superman, and all she wanted to do was go home, huddle in a corner,  
and have a nervous breakdown.  
<<Please, oh please, oh please — let Lucy not be home! I need… I need to just have a  
breakdown right now without having to explain why. Please… let her not be home! >>  
She opened the door to Lucy and her apartment and her heart sank as she saw her sister  
busily in the kitchen mixing up a salad. Lucy looked up brightly and smiled at her in relief.  
"Lois," Lucy breathed out frantically, "I … I’m so glad to see you. For a while — I thought I  
had imagined that you had returned… I was getting ready to call Mom and Dad to see if  
maybe it was just some wonderful dream. I-I’m so glad to see you!"  
"I — I’m sorry. I guess I should have told you where I was going."  
"No — you aren’t accountable to anyone," Lucy said lightly. "I was just being stupid. I’ve  
missed you so much. I guess I just can’t believe you’re back."  
Her words touched a chord in Lois, who found it difficult to maintain her composure. This  
kind of love, so lightly given and expected, was unknown in that other world. Suddenly  
she was grateful that Lucy was there. She hadn’t really wanted to be alone after all.  
Lucy came around to give her a hug and Lois steeled herself not to flinch or withdraw  
from the personal contact. She hated being touched, but reacting in such a way would  
make Lucy suspicious.  
"Listen, Lois — did you hear the news?"  
"What news?" Her heart skipped. Was this about her near accident? She hoped dearly that  
this kind of incident was so commonplace that she wouldn’t end up plastered on the front  
pages.  
<<I don’t want to be the news. I just want to report it! >>  
"News about Superman! He … he’s taken a leave of absence from the Daily Planet. Isn’t  
that bizarre?"  
"Well, I wouldn’t know — I don’t know the guy." She hoped her voice sounded  
disinterested.  
"Well — everyone’s shocked. He said that he needed to devote more time towards helping  
the Government with some outer-space endeavors. He’s giving up his job so he can help  
the government — and he doesn’t expect things in return. He’s really too good to be  
true."  
"I don’t know. If someone is too good to be true — then usually they aren’t. Doesn’t  
anyone find it suspicious that anyone would be that selfless and devoted to public service  
–without expecting any reward?"  
"Lots of people do that sort of thing… Doctors, firemen, policemen, soldiers — "  
"They do it for the money!"  
"Being a police officer isn’t exactly the path to riches."  
"And it isn’t a guarantee of sainthood. You know as well as I do that there are plenty of  
corrupt police officers out there!"  
"There are also a lot of decent ones who put their lives on the line in the hopes of making  
the world a better place to live. That’s also what Superman does! He’s a great guy, Lois —  
and I’ll bet he’d love to meet you… I’m guessing he knows you’re alive by now. How about  
I call him!" Lucy went to the phone, intending to make use of the phone number that she  
had — one that she had never used.  
The color drained from Lois’s face as she rushed over to her sister and jerked the phone  
roughly out of her hand.  
"Ow! What — what did you do that for?" Lucy cried out in annoyance and pain.  
"I don’t want you calling Superman."  
"You could have just asked nicely. You hurt my hand!" It was the plaintive wail of the baby  
sister. Lois was sure Lucy didn’t whine this much with other people… there was  
something about the dynamic between these two where Lucy felt like she could slip into  
long-forgotten behavior patterns. In fact, that was what made their relationship so  
endearing. No matter how old they were, Lois would always be the protective older sister  
and Lucy would be the sensitive baby sister. However, right now, Lois wanted to bash her  
little sister upside the head.  
"I’m sorry I hurt your hand." Her reply was delivered through gritted teeth. "I do NOT want  
that man coming here. Not now — not ever."  
Lucy was startled by the vehemence in her sister’s tone. "You act as if you hate him. Why?"  
"Hate is a strong word — I don’t know the man. But I do know power corrupts — Lucy, I’ve  
been doing hard news for years… I don’t have any naïve illusions about this guy — I’ve  
met others like him — powerful men who turn out rotten to the core. This man’s power  
can destroy the Earth in an instant and we can’t afford to be caught napping."  
"You don’t know him, you aren’t even giving him a chance, and yet you are ready to vilify  
him. He was out there searching for you for six months, Lois — and he did it tirelessly and  
without a single complaint. He didn’t even do it at our prompting — we would eventually  
have built up the nerve to ask him — but he approached us — asked us for information  
about you so he could better isolate his search area."  
"He started stalking me, in other words." She pointed out acidly. "Allow me to thank you  
all for helping him out."  
"Where is this anger coming from? We — we just wanted you back … I — I don’t  
understand your reaction."  
"I… forget it. It’s not important. Just… don’t call him. Okay? I don’t want him coming  
here."  
"You know I can’t just let this go, Lois. Why do you hate him? I mean — that other Lois  
seemed awfully — what?" Lucy stopped talking as she saw her sister’s face turn pale once  
again.  
"I’d forgotten about her. What do you know about her?"  
"Well — Superman told us who she was because he didn’t want us holding out hope that  
she was really you. But it’s… kind of supposed to be a secret."  
"Can’t you tell me?"  
"Yea — I mean… you know about her, and it would be stupid not to. But this is totally off  
the record," Lucy said leaning forward eagerly.  
"Off the record — I promise!"  
"Okay… now this is a really weird story, and I don’t want you thinking I’m on drugs or  
anything… Superman told us this story, and this woman vouched for him."  
"Okay — Okay! Get on with it!"  
"Apparently this Lois came from… yeah… this is going to sound insane… you just aren’t  
going to believe it…"  
"Lucy!" Her tone was growing in exasperation and impatience.  
"Okay — I just feel foolish saying this out loud. It sounds so — twilight-zone."  
Lois felt a sick sensation in her stomach as she had a sudden foreboding of what Lucy was  
about to say.  
"Lois, this woman — she was from … another universe. Before you say anything — hear  
me out — let me finish!"  
"Go right ahead."  
Lucy winced. "Believe it or not… She was you. She was Lois Lane! She was kidnapped out  
of her world and brought here by some nasty time traveler from another dimension."  
Lois’s world turned upside down. Is this why she had been removed from this world? To  
balance out the arrival of the other Lois? Did Superman have something to do with her  
disappearance? Did he engineer it with Tempus?  
"Go on," she whispered shakily.  
"Well — okay… this Lois was … good … friends… with the Superman and Clark in her  
world and she wanted to get back there… to him — So she asked our Superman for help."  
Lois shuddered at the implication behind her sister’s words.  
"Are…are you okay?" Lucy was concerned by her strange reaction.  
"Please, just go on."  
"Anyway — she approached Clark, told him she knew his secret and urged him to use his  
powers to help others in a more public way. Apparently in her world, nobody knows Clark  
and Superman are the same guy — which strikes me as really strange. I mean — they look  
the same, they sound the same, they are both the same height, and — they are both  
amazingly good looking. If he was plain, you might not really look hard enough to  
notice… but…"  
"Can… can you please stay on track?"  
"Sorry. Anyways — it all kind of blew up — this evil guy was here in our world, and  
managed to expose Clark’s double identity. It all kind of worked out in the end, the evil  
guy was taken back to jail by H.G. Wells — and — "  
"H.G. Wells? You’ve lost me here…"  
"Yes. Herbert G. Wells… I know that part is hard to believe… but he invented the time  
machine in the first place."  
"Herb…" her voice trailed silently away as she realized who her rescuer was.  
"Lois ended up going back home — and I think that tore Clark apart. It looked like he had  
some real strong feelings for her, but she was in love with a different Clark and needed to  
be with him. I think — on some level — that’s why he looked for you. Nobody outside the  
family knows all this, and we didn’t begrudge him his reasons. If you didn’t show an  
interest, he would never force himself on you — what?!"  
Her words had caused Lois to start trembling out of control. Her teeth were chattering,  
and she found herself unable to care about hiding the truth.  
"I — did it ever occur to you… that I was… also kidnapped by this evil dimension traveler?"  
"You WERE? You said you didn’t remember — you — "  
"I lied. This is also off the record, Lucy. The man who kidnapped me was named Tempus."  
She stopped and waited for her sister’s reaction.  
"Oh my GOD! That was his name — he — he kidnapped you? Did he take you to the other  
Lois’s world?"  
"No – Not that world. A different one."  
"Oh god — how did you get back?"  
"Herb — H.G.Wells came for me."  
"Was Superman with him?"  
"No."  
"Well… why didn’t you tell us the truth?"  
"It — it’s too strange a story. Besides… I … don’t want to have to talk to Mom and Dad  
about what happened. I’ll tell you briefly, but please don’t ask me to provide details — it –  
it was a world enslaved by aliens."  
"Aliens? Like — like Superman? So — he didn’t exist there? If he did — he would have  
stopped them…"  
"He… was the ring leader, Lucy. I was his slave," Lois answered grimly.  
Silence hung heavily in the air between then while Lucy processed this staggering  
information.  
"I — I … are you … serious?"  
<<Please, please let this be some kind of Joke! Lois always did have a quirky sense of  
humor >>  
"No. April Fools!! Yes, of course — I’m serious… and — I’m quite sane, as well," Lois  
replied caustically.  
"I — I wasn’t doubting your sanity," Lucy said uncertainly.  
"But — you will. Look – I can describe my kidnapper if it would lend credence to my story."  
"No — I — I believe you — Lois — after meeting that other Lois — I know other universes  
exist. I realize that there are lots of them out there — an infinite number. In fact, it  
doesn’t really surprise me that there are evil versions of people in the different universes.  
I guess… we’re lucky to have a good version of Superman… it hadn’t even occurred to me  
that evil versions of him might exist."  
"An evil one could very well exist here," said Lois carefully.  
<<I have to get her to see the truth — but I can’t come across to strongly. I can’t afford to  
have her think I’m delusional. >>  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well — have you considered that he might not be the hero he makes himself out to be?"  
"Uh — well, I know that at first, we were all kind of intimidated by the idea of a super-  
powered alien living amongst us — but… he’s proven his loyalties — and his good  
intentions."  
"Well — that may appear to be so — but appearances can be deceiving you know."  
"Well — sure. But what would he have to gain? If he wanted to … take over … then — he  
could. He doesn’t need any backup — or allies — he’s invincible — and could easily  
destroy the entire world if he wanted to." Lucy felt a growing sense of unease. Was her  
sister crazy? Or, worse yet, was she right?  
"Well maybe he isn’t exactly like the other one. Maybe he doesn’t want to preside over a  
world full of trembling and fearful slaves. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to rule  
us. I think he’s biding his time. I don’t believe he’s the only one of his kind — the planet  
blew up in that other universe as well and there was an entire colony of his people — they  
came in one big wave. I think in this case, they sent him here as the ‘first wave’ — or  
maybe the others are here … and are just in hiding. In time, they will make themselves  
known — and they will either summarily take over, or they might just start doing it  
gradually — showing us pathetic humans a better way to live until we wake up one day  
and realize that we are little more than docile slaves."  
"Do — do you have any evidence of this?" Lucy was very nervous by what her sister had  
said. She really liked Superman — but she had to admit — there was a certain element  
of… sense in what Lois was saying. At the same time, if you really listened hard, it seemed  
that maybe Lois was just a bit paranoid. Could that be the result of her three years in this  
horrible alternate world?  
"No — not yet. But I’ve only been back a short while. In time, I’ll get all the evidence I  
need. I’m betting that it’s all there in black and white, and that someone — like myself —  
needs to just sit down and correlate all the available information."  
"Well — if Superman IS deceiving us, wouldn’t he want his deceit to continue  
undiscovered? Isn’t this dangerous — to you?"  
"After what I’ve lived through — I’d prefer death before slavery. I will die," Lois said  
passionately, "before I let this world become like that world. Before I ever hear that hateful  
voice call me slave again."  
"God, Lois. What… what did he do to you?" Lucy’s voice was barely above a whisper.  
Lois felt her heart skip in panic.  
<<I can’t talk about this! I can’t let those memories in. If I start to talk about it, I will start  
to cry — and scream — and — I’ll never ever stop. They’ll have to lock me away.>>  
At the sight of her haunted face, Lucy moved forward to comfort her — and Lois lurched  
back — unable to deal with any affection or emotion that might crack the nice safe shell  
she was trying to construct.  
"I — I’m not ready to talk about that — I’m — I don’t want your pity — or your … look —  
it’s hard for me to talk about this — I’m just not ready."  
"I think — at some point — you are going to have to talk to someone," whispered Lucy.  
"You can’t have been unaffected by all this — Lois — you’ve been the victim of repeated  
violent treatment — that needs to come out!"  
"Well — I will talk to someone… after I …"  
"After you what? I mean — what is your ultimate goal?"  
"I’m not sure. But I’ll do whatever it takes to … help unearth any weaknesses he may have.  
I seem to think that there is one. The Kryptonians had some kind of substance they were  
able to use to subdue other Kryptonians… the ones who defected against their own  
sadistic rulers and tried to help humanity. I don’t know what that substance is — or how  
to get a hold of it – but I know it existed there, and I’m sure it does here. "  
"Lois… what are you saying? Are you saying… you would kill him?" Lucy was horrified. "He  
— he may not be what you suspect — I don’t believe he is here for evil purposes. He’s a  
nice guy — we know him — he tried to find you — and –"  
"Of course I wouldn’t try to kill him –if he is as innocent as everyone believes. But even if  
he does turn out to be one of the good guys — at least… well –if he did go — crazy —  
we’d have a way of stopping him before any damage was done."  
"I — I don’t like this, Lois — I think… I think somehow you are going to bring about the  
destruction of a good man."  
"Listen. I have had much more exposure to Kryptonians than you have had. I know Kal-El  
better than any other human can know him. I would be willing, at this point, to stake my  
life on the fact that there is more to him than meets the eye. I also would be willing to  
stake my life on the fact that what lies hidden is sinister and menacing. I feel it every time  
I hear his name or see his face!" Lois was angry now, and barely able to keep herself  
under control.  
"Are — couldn’t you be projecting what you felt for the other Kal-El onto him?" Lucy’s  
persistence was born from an instinctive desire to prevent her sister from doing anything  
tragic.  
"I — don’t know — no! I do know! I can’t start doubting myself — surely you see that  
Luce! My instincts have never failed me before."  
"But …you’ve been through a horrible ordeal. Isn’t it possible that you… you aren’t exactly  
the same Lois you were before? Maybe you’ve been surrounded by cruelty so long, that  
your ability to discern between a good man and a bad man is – well – damaged?"  
<<She’s right, you know. This could be a fool’s errand — a dangerous one at that. If my  
investigation unearths something that can kill this man, surely there are unscrupulous  
people who will use it against him. I could be condemning an innocent man to death>>  
Lois sighed in irritation. Her repeated attempts at quashing her self-doubts were  
becoming less and less effective.  
"Lucy – I … I just don’t know. Look — I promise I won’t do anything until I’m sure. Okay?  
I’ll share my information with you and you can give me your best judgment — I won’t do  
anything on my own."  
"I — that’s something, but … to be honest, I wish you’d talk with Perry White about this. If  
anyone can offer you an objective –"  
"Objective? He thinks of that man as a son! He won’t be objective — of course he’ll defend  
him!"  
"But… he thinks of you as a daughter."  
"He did," she spat out bitterly, her anger roused once again. "He thought of me as a  
daughter, and the best damn reporter to ever work with him. And then I disappeared and I  
was quickly replaced by that — that — usurper. He stole my life, Lucy. For all I know —  
even that was part of his plan- maybe he needed me out of the way so that I wouldn’t  
discover his true intentions. He couldn’t have me working by his side, and he needed that  
job at the Planet to array himself in the best position to influence the greatest amount of  
people. A reporter! A sojourner of truth and justice. It all seems so perfect, when you  
think about it!"  
"Or crazy," Lucy muttered under her breath.  
"What did you say?"  
"Nothing — look… we aren’t going to agree on this. But Lois — I trust you to do the right  
thing. I think Perry loves and respects you very much, and that if ever you needed an ally,  
he would be the one. He also knows Superman better than any other human alive — and  
he could give you a perspective that would help you … figure things out. But — you know  
better than I about investigating people, and I won’t — get in your way. However, I will  
take you up on your offer — you promise you won’t take any damaging steps towards  
discrediting or … harming Superman without running all your data my way? I know I’m  
not as bright as you, but I can help. I promise to be objective about it."  
"Oh Lucy!" Lois reached forward and gave her a quick hug. As much as she hated the  
feeling of skin against her own skin, she couldn’t resist the urge to comfort her baby  
sister. In time, she hoped that these feelings of aversion would go away.  
<<Yes, Einstein. That’s why we need therapy? You think?>>  
Lois released her sister, and sprang up from the couch in a quick tense movement.  
"I can’t talk about this anymore. Not right now. I think… a shower and then sleep."  
"Okay! I can understand that. But… I’m always here if you want to talk — about anything  
— you know? Any time — wake me up in the middle of the night if the need to talk,  
scream or cry hits you."  
"Thanks," she smiled. "I’ll be okay."  
Lois made good on her promise to herself — she took a very long and hot shower.  
<< If I stand under here long enough — I’ll be clean — I’ll be purified. The water will  
cleanse it all away. Like a baptism — I’ll be clean and free of everything that happened.  
Oh god — please don’t let me be wrong here. Please don’t let me hurt someone innocent.  
He can’t be innocent — he just can’t be. No one is that good a person — he is too good to  
really be true! But what about that other Lois? She trusted him — and she had apparently  
loved the Kal-El in her world. Could she be evil too? Or just taken in — taken in like  
everyone here? She didn’t have my experiences to give her my perspective. That has to be  
it — it — it just can’t be what everyone says. He has an ulterior motive, and I’m not  
hurting him — I’m just trying to figure out whether or not there’s any danger. It – it’s the  
responsible thing for me to do! And — well — even if he does get hurt, and is innocent —  
so what? I was innocent — and I wasn’t shown any mercy. Not one tiny iota. >>  
Feeling less than refreshed, she stepped out of the shower. As she exited, she caught a  
glimpse of her back in the mirror. Starkly contrasting with the white of her skin was an  
ugly burn mark that identified her as property. His property. She remembered how she  
got this burn. It was after he had arrived in his chambers — that fateful first day. He had  
stood there, watching her idly for what seemed to be an eternity.  
"You know, there’s something about you — that just isn’t right," he spoke in flawless  
English. His voice was calm and conversational, but she heard the menace just the same.  
There was no mistaking his ultimate intentions. "What can it be?" He took several slow  
steps forward in her direction as he spoke.  
She backed away from him hesitantly. Should she answer? What was he talking about?  
"Hmmm… now let’s see… you’re wearing the correct garb for a slave," he said, reaching  
forward and running his fingers lightly over the filmy outfit that she wore. She jerked back  
at that hint of a touch.  
He laughed at her resistance, and then continued his idle conversation. "You know, you  
don’t know the proper submissive stance for a slave, but you’ll learn — I promise — I’ll be  
sure to teach you everything you need to know. After all — it’s for your own good. I’d hate  
to get really angry — that didn’t really work out too well for the other … the other slave  
that I kept — and now I know what’s wrong! You don’t wear my mark yet."  
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," she snapped angrily. Anger was always her best  
defense. "I honestly don’t care. If you think I’m just going to –" she was abruptly silenced  
as he effortlessly cuffed her, sending her staggering several feet until she collided with  
the wall. She groaned in pain as her head made contact with that unforgiving wall.  
"I didn’t say you could talk," he said idly, "and I suggest you learn your first lesson which  
is — you don’t get to speak until you’re spoken too. As I was saying… I mark all my  
property to make sure the other Lords don’t take it upon themselves to ‘accidentally’  
sample what’s mine. Believe me, slave, you will be better off that way. Some of my cohorts  
aren’t as gentle as I am. None of them can keep a slave longer than a few weeks without  
… unfortunate results."  
"Your — your mark?"  
"There you go again," he shook his head in sorrow. "You keep violating the rules. But  
you’re new here — so I’ll go easy on you — just this once." He approached her huddled  
form, ignoring her frantic attempt to stand up and stagger away from him. He grabbed  
her arm, and roughly jerked her around so that her back was facing him. "Don’t struggle  
— I want this to be unmistakably my mark." His voice was now hard and steely.  
"You’re mad! What — what are you –" her words were once again cut off, this time, by her  
own loud cries — as Kal-El burned his mark of ownership into her shoulder. He let her go  
— and she staggered away from him and fell to the floor — completely undone by what he  
had just done to her.  
He watched her silently for a few moments and then said graciously, "You may speak."  
"You — you branded me? How? Why?"  
"With this," he said as he shot a beam of heat vision at one of the many plants decorating  
the room. The plant burst into flames. "So be careful. Next time, it could be YOU instead  
of that plant."  
"This can’t be happening," she whispered, "it’s — all a bad dream — it has to be."  
"No. Your old life is the dream — this is your life now. You will find that life here will be  
far less unpleasant if you can just accept that from now on, you belong to me."  
Lois ran her finger over that hated mark, glad for the first time that it was there. Whenever  
that weak-willed inner voice of hers started spewing its unproductive thoughts, she would  
be able to find the anger and strength that she needed just by looking at this mark. Once  
a badge of shame, it would move on to be a symbol of the battle ahead. After she had …  
ousted… the alien, she would see about having surgery to fix this part of her body.  
<< Although — what difference does it make if I’m ugly or not? No one else will EVER see  
it. Not if I can help it. >>  
She toweled dry and changed into some bulky sweats. Sweats made her feel safe because  
they were as far removed from her ‘costume’ in that other world as anything could be.  
She listened to the sound of Lucy moving about in the outer rooms with pleasure. She was  
amazed now by her former aversion to finding Lucy at home. She was so glad that her  
sister had been there — not only was she somewhat safe with her here, she had also had  
a chance to tell her sister the truth. She had known that keeping the truth from her while  
living under the same roof would have proven impossible over time. At least this way,  
Lucy wouldn’t be angry — she had told her as soon as she could. Not telling their parents  
made sense to both sisters. She yawned suddenly, aware of a deep weariness in her  
bones. A long nap now, and then she could continue her research.  
Lois was trapped — trapped in a horrible existence, a living nightmare that would never  
end. All hope at ever seeing her beloved home again was lost. Somehow she had fallen  
into the twilight zone and reality as she had known it had been horribly altered. She  
couldn’t cry out loud — she had to keep it all inside and while she maintained a  
submissive exterior, her mind cried out for freedom.  
<< What does he want from me? Why won’t he let me go? Why won’t he just let me go?  
What can he possibly gain from keeping me like this? Oh god! Why won’t anyone help me?  
All these super-powerful people who could stand up to him — and-nobody will even help  
me! Somebody help! Please — somebody help! >>  
Clark bolted awake from what had been a very fitful sleep. The panicked cries of someone  
in distress echoed in his head. Agitated, he stayed still for a moment, hoping to hear it  
again. He wasn’t disappointed — seconds after awakening he once again heard the  
screams. Someone was in very grave danger and instantly he shot out of his window — a  
streak of red and blue. He paused in mid-air trying very hard to determine the source and  
direction of the sound.  
<<Help me! Oh god — why won’t anybody step forward? >>  
Increasing in agitation, Clark looked around frantically. He couldn’t get a fix on this cry  
for help — had his brain become so jumbled with thoughts of Lois that he was no longer  
able to concentrate on his most important tasks? Why couldn’t he concentrate — where  
was this call coming from? There was an urgent need for his help, and he couldn’t even  
find the victim!  
<<There’s nobody out there! I’m alone and trapped! I need help! Why won’t anyone help?  
>>  
Clark froze. With a shock of clarity he realized that he was hearing this all in his mind.  
Had he gone mad? How was this possible? Someone was sending him a telepathic  
message. Lois! She was in trouble! Horrified at the seconds wasted trying to find the  
source of the call, he set his course in determination and sped there as fast as he could.  
As he approached Lucy’s apartment, he started to feel a growing and clawing sense of  
panic. His throat had tightened up and his stomach felt uneasy and acidic. He felt  
menaced in a way that he hadn’t felt since he was a young boy, terrified to go downstairs  
to the basement all by himself — certain of the presence of ghosts and monsters lying in  
wait. It was a blind and unreasoning fear, and he hovered outside her apartment trying  
desperately to get himself under control.  
Fighting back the very palpable urge to flee and hide somewhere, he used his enhanced  
vision to see what kind of danger she was in. Lois lay on her bed, drenched in  
perspiration. She was sleeping – if it could be called that — and she tossed and turned  
fretfully in her bed. She wasn’t in danger! It was someone else!  
<<Oh no! I was wrong — it wasn’t her — there’s someone out there who needs my help  
— and… all I can think of is Lois! What use am I to anyone if I just obsess about the one  
person in the world who wishes I wouldn’t notice her at all? What am I going to do? I can’t  
find the person who needs me- she or he could die! It would be my fault! I’m going crazy  
here! >>  
Suddenly a wave of panic hit him again. Unfamiliar thoughts and sensations once again  
erupted along his neural pathways.  
<<Oh god! I’m trapped! Trapped and there’s no way out! I can’t breathe — there’s  
something pressing me against a wall — against the floor. Something is out to get me —  
something is going to hurt me — there’s no way out! I’m trapped here — and I’ll be  
trapped here forever. There’s no hope! No chance of ever going home!>>  
As Clark hovered there, tormented by his conscience and this other strange sense of  
despair and menace, a thread of rationality managed to leak through his through his  
frantic thought processes.  
<<She’s broadcasting this to me! She’s having a nightmare… I heard her in my head, but  
it wasn’t genuine danger… just a nightmare. She was dreaming about that other place —  
that other him. She’s somehow causing me to experience her own feelings! Is this how  
she always feels? Oh god — how does she stand it? How does she even get out of bed —  
how did she live through these feelings for three years? I must radiate nightmares to her  
— how can she stand to even look at me? I – No! No — he’s coming — he’s going to hurt  
me — he’s angry with me and I can sense it — he’s letting me feel his displeasure before  
he even gets here — it’s a warning — it’s a game… it’s always a game with him – I  
thought I was home! How could I have let myself think I was home? >>  
As her thoughts forced their way into his, he came to a decision. This link had to be two-  
way. From what she was ‘telling’ him, he was pretty sure that Kal-El had used some kind  
of telepathic connection to heighten her fear. She must have learned how to communicate  
this way after all those time that Kal-El invaded her mind. Maybe he was even able to read  
her thoughts — and if that were the case — she hadn’t had even a moment of privacy or  
ease of mind since her abduction.  
<<I can help her! I can send her a feeling of well-being — I can remind her that she’s  
home. No — I can’t do that — if I go in her mind — I’m no better than the other Kal-El.  
I’m forcing myself  
where I’m not welcome and I can’t do that… it would be a violation all over again for her.  
But — she needs help! She’s lost in those nightmares — lost, panicked and hopeless. She  
thinks this homecoming was all a dream — that she was never rescued, and she’s giving  
up her will to live. Can people die from dreams? What if she wills herself to death — if  
anyone can do it — it would be Lois. I have to help her — I can’t let her feel this way! >>  
As he debated with these thoughts, Lucy saw his motionless figure hovering near Lois’s  
room window. He used to be such a welcome sight, but this time — she felt a sudden  
shock of panic run through her.  
<<Why is he here? Is — did he hear our conversation? Oh no — is he here to put a stop to  
her now? Was she right? Is… is he really an enemy in disguise? What am I going to do? I  
can’t call the police — I can’t… maybe I could call the Mayor — he might be able to talk  
some sense into him… but it would be too late — he can kill her in an instant — and —  
but… he’s not making a move to get in here — or even do anything. He’s just watching  
her and he looks like he’s in such pain. What IS he doing?>>  
She very carefully sat down where she could continue to observe him, and waited  
nervously for something to happen.  
He took a deep fortifying breath. He had to help her — it was as simple as that. He closed  
his eyes and forced himself to relax — tried to banish the vestigial feelings of fear and  
despair from his mind.  
***Home. Home — you are home, it’s a bad dream, and you really are home. He can’t hurt  
you –just tell him to go away!  
***I can’t! It was an answering wail of anguish. He — that’s what he wants- defiance, and  
he will hurt me all the more for it! I can’t — oh god — he’s coming! He’s here- can’t you  
see him? He’s right in front of me — he’s advancing — he’s coming for me! The wall —  
it’s right here — behind my back and I can’t go any further! I’m trapped — I can’t get out!  
He felt like he was there with her — trapped and terrified. All at once a horrible image  
came into his mind — a man surrounded by the deadliest of auras. The man stood there  
with the poise of a leopard — strong, implacable, deadly and cruel. His mouth was curved  
into a very deliberate smirk — the bastard was enjoying the fear he evoked — he was  
savoring it — getting off on it. Clark was torn between the equally warring desires to get  
the hell out of there, and to fly at him with all the fury and strength he was capable of  
mustering. Suddenly he saw himself apart from Lois- he could see her too… she was pale,  
and frightened and looked very weak and fragile — standing against the wall, cringing in  
terror.  
<< This must be how she sees herself. A weak and helpless victim — not the strong face  
that she shows the rest of the world.>>  
** Lois — Lois- you can fight him. You aren’t alone — we are all with you — people from  
your own world. Perry, Lucy, your parents — it was all real — you are home, and we are  
with you — ready to help you fight this guy off! Tell him to go away! He will, if you tell him  
forcefully enough!  
***I guess it can’t make much of a difference.  
This answering thought was filled with a sense of despair. Kal-El would hurt her no matter  
what she did — so she might as well try … just try to see if this was a dream. She  
mustered up all her rage, all her fear and all her hope — and suddenly the image of her  
changed. She was magnificent in her fury — her eyes were flashing and her face was  
flushed with life and anger. She stood up tall — had she grown a few inches? Her hands,  
which were raised defensively in front of her, suddenly clenched into fists and her stance  
shifted. She was ready for a fight. GO AWAY! Her voice rang clear and strong. The image  
of Kal-El remained and continued to advance.  
***Again — again — you can do it — I’m here — I’ll help you — I won’t let him hurt you!  
***Bastard! You lousy bastard — go away! I’ll kill you if you come any closer! You aren’t  
wanted here — you aren’t real! Go away!  
He saw the image of Kal-El disintegrate in his mind, and before he could really process  
anything more, his link with her was broken. The dream was over — he could go now. He  
remained watching her a long moment as he tried to get his feelings under control. This  
link with her was the most intense contact he had ever shared with anyone. What a  
powerful and wonderful thing this could be between two people — if it wasn’t used with  
hate or cruelty. He imagined that the link would intensify the other kinds of intimacy that  
could be shared, and was once again staggered by the beauty and loss of the road that  
could never be taken.  
Regretfully, he turned in the air and flew away before he revealed his presence to her. She  
needed to feel safe and among friends. A friend was something he would never be to her,  
and she clearly didn’t and couldn’t feel safe in his presence. He shuddered at the  
remembrance of the feelings she had sent his way — of her perception of that other Kal-  
El.  
<<Is that was she sees when she looks at me? A sadistic cruel man? An aggressor? Does  
she see me at all, or does his image superimpose itself on mine? How can she even stand  
the fact that I’m here — I’ve usurped so many areas of her life! Her closest friend — Perry  
White — is also my closest friend in this world. And then there’s the Daily Planet. Sure –  
I’ve left … but can she ever go there, knowing my close link to the place? Knowing that  
everyone there will be regretting my departure? She probably hates me as much as the  
other… is she even able to make the distinction? >>  
Before he flew off, he saw Lucy watching him from the living room window. Her face was  
pale and worried, and he realized in a flash of insight that she knew where Lois had been.  
Casting one last glance towards Lois’s room, he assured himself that she was still asleep  
— and then he flew towards the balcony of Lucy’s apartment.  
Lucy watched his actions in deep trepidation.  
<<Oh no! He sees me! How could I forget about that blasted vision of his! He’s coming …  
act normal! I have to act normal! >>  
She opened her balcony door and stepped aside in a wordless invitation, a hesitant smile  
of welcome on her face.  
He flew down and stood several feet away from her. If he was any judge of people’s  
emotions, he would say that for the first time ever, Lucy was actually afraid of him.  
<<This is what will happen whenever anyone hears Lois’s story. They will fear me. How  
can they avoid doing so? What could be worse than an evil super-powered being? >>  
"Lucy — I guess you’re wondering why I’m here?"  
"No — uh — of course not — I understand that you — sometimes… check in on people —  
make sure they’re okay," she said rapidly, trying to hide her nervousness.  
"I actually never use my abilities to … check in on people like this, Lucy. So you have every  
right to question why I’m … spying on your sister."  
<<Oh god. He’s admitting it. What is he going to do next? >>  
"I … um… spying?"  
"Lucy — she told you, didn’t she? She told you everything –uh… about what happened to  
her?"  
Lucy looked away for a moment, thinking wildly that she might lie. As long as she could  
continue the charade, they might actually be safe.  
<<What am I doing? Do I think he’s dangerous now? I don’t know what to think anymore?  
If he HAS made a decision to harm Lois or … or me… then there’s not much I can do  
about it, now –so I might as well tell him the truth. >>  
"Yes," she whispered, her voice suddenly dry. "She told me everything."  
He gazed at her with an inscrutable expression for a long moment. She tried very hard not  
to shift nervously under his gaze while she braced herself for some unknown retribution.  
Would he use fire? Ice? How would he do it?  
"Lucy — you don’t have to be afraid. I- well — I know you are — and I understand why…  
but I’m not here to hurt you — or her. I –" he stopped short, unsure as to how much he  
wanted to tell her about what had just happened.  
"I’m… not afraid of you," she said, suddenly realizing that she wasn’t. "I just… this is kind  
of awkward. I don’t know what to say to you."  
Her frankness helped him make his decision. He would be equally frank.  
"She… she was having a nightmare," he said. "It — uh — I heard her… in my mind. It woke  
me up. I — I thought she was in trouble."  
"You heard her in your mind?"  
"I think my race might be telepathic. I never knew this before… but she — ah — well —  
she seems to have a way of getting into my head. This isn’t the first time she’s done it  
since returning. Its…very disconcerting."  
"Yeah – I’ll bet," she whispered, "how bad a nightmare was it?"  
"She was dreaming of him… of my counterpart in that world. And- I thought she was in  
trouble. I came here and — well — I did violate her privacy," he looked down  
uncomfortably.  
"How?"  
"I – reached into her mind," he said once again ashamed. "I know that was wrong, Lucy —  
but I didn’t know what else to do. I hope you can forgive me. I doubt she’ll know what I  
did — but someday… I’ll confess it to her — someday if she can ever stand to hold a  
conversation with me, that is."  
"Well — what did you do?"  
"I told her that she was only dreaming it. That it was over, and that she could banish any  
bad dreams just by telling them to go away."  
"Then — I think you did the right thing."  
"Thanks — thanks for that. Look — I’m not asking you to keep anything from her. You can  
tell her I was here, and you can tell her what I did. I think it’s better not to tell her… but  
it’s your decision, and I’ll respect it either way. She needs you, Lucy. I feel a lot better  
about her, knowing that she has you to talk to."  
"Well — well thanks!" Lucy felt awkwardly pleased by his praise. She knew that Superman  
wasn’t one to say things just to be polite. If he said it, he meant it. "That means a lot. You  
mean a lot to our family, Superman, you did a lot for us when you looked for her and we  
will never forget that. I’d hate to lose … well — I don’t want you to feel like we hate you,  
or fear you. I — It’s hard not to pick up on her negativity towards you — I know I’m having  
trouble sorting it all out. But the man who did this wasn’t you. He was a different man  
altogether."  
"And yet… it haunts me to know that someone out there could be me and still do this.  
What makes us different? Do we share a soul somehow? How does this work? At what  
point along our development were we the same man? What turned him into a monster,  
and how do I know that it won’t ever happen to me?"  
She stared at him aghast. He in turn could not believe he had just voiced these fears out  
loud. A deep and dreadful silence passed for a long moment and then he spoke once  
again.  
"Look — I’m sorry — I shouldn’t have said that — I — "  
"No — no. You — you also need someone to talk to… Superman — this has to be eating  
you up inside. If it’s any consolation — I don’t think you could become that way now.  
Whatever happened to make him this way obviously happened during his entire life. You  
don’t just stop being a decent man! I can’t believe that people can suddenly switch from  
being good to being evil. That… well — that never happens! I know one thing — you could  
never kill."  
<<Oh, but I could. I could kill him. But I can’t tell you or any other human that! I could kill  
him easily for what he did to her. For hurting her, violating her, forcing her to lose all  
hope. Oh yes — I could easily end his life. And hopefully someday, I’ll get the chance.>>  
For the first time ever, he felt a murderous rage towards another person. Granted — this  
person was a twisted mirror image of himself — but still — murderous rage in a super-  
powered being was not something you wanted to see. It was unsettling and chilling.  
Forcing these thoughts to remain unsaid, he smiled at her mirthlessly.  
"Thanks, Lucy. Take care of yourself, and call me if you ever need me." He quickly lifted  
off again with a brief wave, and flew wearily home.  
As consciousness slowly swept over her, Lois lay motionless in the bed. She was afraid to  
open her eyes — her dream had been so real to her that she wondered if she really had  
dreamt her homecoming.  
<<Which was the dream? Am I home, or am I back… there? Did I really defy Lord Kal-El,  
and if so — why didn’t he hurt me for it? Surely if it really happened he has something in  
store for me. Oh god — what if — what if he’s sitting in this room — waiting for me to  
wake up? He could be right there — he could be inches away from me — waiting for me to  
show signs of being awake. I have to open my eyes very slowly — just a tiny amount — so  
I can see where I am! I’m scared — I don’t want to do this! What if I just dreamt I was  
home? No. It wasn’t a dream. It had to have been real — I am home — I couldn’t have  
possibly dreamed something so vivid and realistic. All I need to do is just open my eyes.  
That’s it — open my eyes, and I’ll see Lucy’s guest bedroom with the flowered wallpaper.  
Open — let’s open these eyes…>>  
She opened her eyes the minutest amount, and then opened them fully as she took in her  
surroundings with a sigh of relief.  
<<Oh thank god! Home! Home! I’m really home! What a strange dream — it felt like there  
was someone else in my head. >>  
She got up and stumbled groggily out into the living room and saw Lucy in the adjoining  
kitchen brewing up coffee. It was morning — she had slept through the latter part of the  
evening and through the whole night.  
"Morning, Luce," she yawned. "Sorry to sleep in so late."  
"Hey! I’m glad you got some rest!" Lucy looked at her sister guiltily.  
<<Do I tell her Superman was here? What about the whole dream thing? I don’t think  
she’ll take it too well… I don’t want her to flip out on me, but … I don’t want to lie to her  
either! What do I do? >>  
"Um… did… did I — talk in my sleep or anything?" Lois asked casually, hoping beyond  
hope that her nightmares hadn’t been obvious to her sister.  
"Uh… no," said Lucy nervously, "um… why do you ask?"  
"Nothing — nothing. I — I had some rather bad dreams, and I … well, I’d hate to think I  
disturbed your rest."  
"Oh — no! I didn’t hear a thing from you all night," she said truthfully.  
"Are you okay?"  
"Yes! Why do you ask?"  
"You seem kind of jumpy this morning — heck, I thought I was the jumpy one these days."  
Lois smiled at her feeble attempt at humor.  
"Well — you know — some of the stuff you told me — kind of… "  
"Yea — got you worried too? I’m glad," Lois nodded approvingly. "It’s good to talk to  
someone who has an ounce of sense in their body. Don’t worry — I’m sure you’re safe for  
now. I’d be willing to bet he doesn’t try anything overt at this point. You know — after all  
this time of trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes, he isn’t going to suddenly play out  
all his cards."  
"Well — that — I wasn’t really — "  
"Is that coffee? I could really use some — and then I’m going to go get dressed and find  
myself a job."  
"Oh! You mean at the Planet?" Lucy was grateful to have a change of subject.  
"Not — not exactly. LNN."  
"Why would you even consider taking a job anywhere but the Planet? The Planet is the best  
news organization in the world — I — "  
"It WAS the best. It’s now a biased load of sycophantic fools," Lois spat bitterly. "Or have  
you NOT been reading about their ongoing love affair with ‘Superman’?"  
"Well Lois — he’s saved their lives — countless of lives — and –"  
"And he works there. Or worked there — and don’t think for a minute that he quit to make  
me feel any better. I just couldn’t work for a paper where they were afraid or unwilling to  
really pursue the truth. The Planet used to be an institution for truth and justice, but I’ve  
lost faith in them. All those articles — ugh! It makes me sick to think of the Planet being  
used in such an utterly revolting fashion."  
"Okay — okay! Don’t get angry — I get it. I get it. So — LNN? I’ll bet you get that job. I  
know Luthor has had a thing for you for years."  
Lois gave a quick shudder at the thought. "If I get the job, it will be based on my merit as  
a journalist, not my attractiveness as a woman."  
"Of course — you are one of the best reporters in the world –" Lucy began to placate her  
sister once again.  
"Was. I’ve been out for a long time… but I’ll get back on top."  
"Um — so — great. Here’s your coffee," Lucy said, unwilling to carry on this conversation  
any longer. It seemed that no matter how she tried to avoid the topic of Superman, Lois  
was just too obsessed to talk about anything else.  
"Thanks — you are such a great sister!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Thanks — listen… Lois? Uh… about… about Superman?" Lucy started to reveal what  
happened to her sister, her guilt at keeping it a secret outweighing her common sense.  
"Look — Luce — I don’t want to argue this right now. I promise you — I’ll try to be  
objective here. I won’t do anything that I’ll regret — I promise."  
"No — but — well — "  
"And if this is about meeting him — I don’t want to meet up with him. Please- just try to  
keep from calling him — unless you are in deep danger. I don’t think I’d feel safe here, if I  
knew he was still coming by."  
"Uh — well — its not like he came by that often before — but he — well — "  
"You’re worried he’ll think it’s odd that you haven’t called him to meet me? Don’t — I  
think he knows about what happened… Even if he is harmless and there isn’t any secrecy  
about his intentions, if he knows — he knows why I don’t want to meet up with him."  
"O-okay, Lois. I promise I won’t call him here. If he shows up — it won’t be because I  
called him."  
"Thanks — thanks a lot. I promise, I’ll get to the bottom of this one way or the other. Look  
at it this way — if he IS a benevolent alien, then my research will make sure everyone  
knows that — it will actually make his life easier, if that’s the case. He only has something  
to lose if he’s hiding malicious intent… and in that case, we’d want him to be — uh —  
stopped."  
"Lois," Lucy sighed wearily, "I can’t stop you from doing what you are going to do. Just  
remember — you are playing with lives here — at least one life — the life of what could be  
the most special person in the entire world. Really be sure of things before taking any  
steps."  
"As if I ever would do otherwise? I didn’t get to be the top reporter at the Planet by playing  
on bad hunches!"  
Later, as Lois rode the cab to the LNN offices, she felt a simmering anger.  
<<He’s taken everything from me. My life, my job, my friends, and even my family. Lucy  
is obviously star-struck, and isn’t likely to ever sanction any of my findings. Oh who cares  
what she thinks! What does she know anyway? I was always the smarter one and she’s not  
the best judges of character either. Look at all those creeps she’s dated. Oh, that isn’t  
fair! Lucy is just trying to prevent me from hurting an innocent man. I wouldn’t do that…  
would I? I’m on the side of justice and truth –I don’t want anyone innocent getting hurt!  
>>  
She stepped out of the cab and paid the driver and made her way through the formidable  
entrance to the LNN Offices. Summoning up her best haughty attitude, she informed the  
guard she was there to see Lex Luthor. Well — why not? Might as well start at the top —  
that was the only way to really get things done.  
"Do you have an appointment?"  
"No. Tell him Lois Lane is here to see him. He’ll see me."  
The guard looked at her skeptically, but he lifted the phone. Moments later, he looked  
back up at her with an expression of supreme surprise. "Uh — he’s coming down to meet  
you!"  
"Hmm. I guess he wants to see for himself if it’s really me."  
"He doesn’t come down for anyone," the guard said in awe.  
"Lois!" Lex called out happily as he stepped out of the executive-only elevator car. "I  
thought you were dead!"  
"Rumors of my reappearance haven’t reached you yet? Who keeps you informed? You  
should fire them, and hire me!" Lois felt a surge of revulsion at the sight of Luthor, and  
she didn’t know why. As far as she knew, he wasn’t a threat to her — but yet —  
something about him made her feel ill.  
"I’d love to hire you — is that what you’re here for," he asked companionably as they  
walked towards the elevator.  
Lois fought her inward urge to flee. The idea of getting into an elevator with him — or  
anyone – was repugnant. However, she stood her ground knowing that of all people he  
was most likely to see her side of things.  
As they rode up towards the penthouse, Luthor looked at Lois questioningly. "So, my dear  
— where on earth have you been?"  
<<Should I tell him? NO! God — no. This man should NOT know about other universes.  
That kind of knowledge in the wrong hands can be deadly! But why are his hands the  
wrong hands? Why does he disturb me so much? He never did before. It must be my  
reaction to all men, after what Kal-El did to me. It makes sense that a powerful man like  
Luthor would bother me. It isn’t more than some primitive response. But all the same — I  
think I’ll keep quiet about where I’ve been! >>  
"I was in an accident recently, Lex — and I have some kind of weird temporary amnesia.  
The last thing I remember was being in Metropolis. Three years ago… so … as you can  
see — I can’t really answer that right now," she said charming him with her best smile.  
They exited the elevator and went into his spacious office. She watched with her heart in  
her throat as he locked the doors behind them. She was alone up here and completely  
vulnerable to his whim — she was sure this place was sound-proofed and that Luthor  
wouldn’t get any interference from his employees even if it weren’t. She would just have  
to rely upon his being a professional and a gentleman. Why did he bother her so much?  
And then suddenly it hit her.  
<<Oh god. He reminds me of Kal-El! How can that be? He seems more like Kal-El than  
Superman does. That doesn’t make any sense at all? But somehow — he has Kal-El’s…  
body language — that same languid grace, and casual and deadly air. As if he’s toying  
with us all. Is Lex a dangerous man? Surely that can’t be? He’s widely known for his  
humanitarian activities — and surely if he were dangerous, I’d have caught wind of it long  
before now. >>  
"I see," he smiled at her — the smile of a predator eyeing its prey.  
"I — uh — I," she started nervously.  
<<Drat, girl! Stop stuttering and acting like a child! Tell him what you want, and tell him  
he’s going to hire you! Confidence!!>>  
"I want you to hire me."  
"On or off camera?" he asked smoothly  
"Uh — off — of course," she responded startled at his question.  
<<Is it really this easy? And if so — is it because of what Lucy said? No — of course not!  
I’m just one of the best, and Lex knows this. He’s been trying to get me to work for him  
forever >>  
"Fine. Let’s discuss the terms over lunch!"  
"Before we do this — I’d like to know how you feel about Superman?"  
"Superman has done a lot for the planet Earth and for Metropolis specifically. He’s quite  
the hero."  
"Well… but what is LNN’s stance on Superman? I noticed that unlike the Planet you don’t  
seem to print a lot of … pro-superman articles — nor do you run a lot of pro-superman  
segments and editorials."  
"Well, I believe we should report the truth and not let gratitude impede us from doing  
that."  
"I … I completely agree with you. I just — well — if I were to find some — negative —  
things about Superman — would I be allowed to follow through with them here?"  
"Lois, as long as you follow ethical means and ways, and as long as your stories and  
contacts can be corroborated and verified, you can print whatever you want."  
She was speechless with joy. This was easier than she had thought. While Lex didn’t seem  
to overtly dislike Superman, he clearly wasn’t taken in. He was as cautious as she knew he  
would be.  
"I think I’m really going to like it here," she said on impulse, forcing her uncomfortable  
feelings aside for now.  
He smiled, and once again, she felt threatened. "Lois, my dear — this is going to be the  
start of a beautiful relationship."  
"Son, I do believe she’s out to get you."  
Clark looked up and met the piercing gaze of the man who had become his best friend. "I  
know," he sighed. He realized that Perry wasn’t likely to let him leave without getting an  
explanation — and while he could, of course, leave whenever he chose, he didn’t like to  
treat his friend so cavalierly. Perhaps it was time to let him in on what was going on.  
"Now, what I’d like to know is … why? Why has she been working for Luthor these last  
three weeks, and why has she been consistently publishing those clever pieces — you  
know — the ones where she doesn’t actually slander you, but where she does manage to  
imply that you are someone that the human race should be very wary of?" His eyes were  
quizzical as they regarded the young man.  
<<Come on Clark! Spill! I know you know! You have nothing to hide, nothing to fear —  
just spill! >>  
"I… know why," he grudgingly admitted, giving Perry a look that signaled his defeat on  
this matter. "And I’m willing to tell you because I don’t know what else to do — or where  
else to turn. I’m scared, Perry. Scared for Lois. She’s working with Luthor, and as we both  
know — he’s a very dangerous man. I’m afraid of what her working for him will do to her  
— where it will lead her!"  
"Why do you care so much about it? She’s a stranger to you — despite that ‘other’ Lois —  
and I really wish you’d explain that too."  
"I’ll explain it all. Now. But you have to… well … suspend your disbelief for a while — if  
you can."  
"Seeing as how I’m sitting in a room with a man who can fly and bend steel, an alien who  
looks just like a human being…"  
"Well, that last part isn’t really as strange as you might think."  
"Why not?" Perry accepted this momentary diversion because he was intrigued. This had  
always niggled at him — the odds of there being two species in the universe so  
completely alike seemed staggering and pointed to religious explanations which he had  
always found impossible to swallow.  
"Well — life did not originate on Krypton, and it has been long postulated that life was  
brought there by some outside force — some other race — perhaps as an experiment One  
such postulation is that Earth is origin of Kryptonians as well, and the reason for the  
yellow sun effect is because the Kryptonian body had to mutate over time to exist in the  
harsh red-sun environment. It is even possible that this mutation was the result of actual  
surgical alteration or tinkering with our genes. We — I – have the same number of  
chromosome pairs as do humans, and it is even possible that I could have children with  
an earth woman… well… almost possible — there are other things that could get in the  
way of that," he trailed off uncomfortably  
"Like what?"  
"Uh — well… my genetic material could just… destroy a woman’s egg– so a fertilized egg  
could never really be a possibility. Kind of like a …well — microscopic gang-rape," he  
finished even more uncomfortably as he drew the obvious parallels between what he was  
discussing and what Lois had gone through.  
"This is fascinating! Have you ever… oh — well — I guess I’m overstepping the boundaries  
of polite," he stopped slightly embarrassed by the direction of his questions. Normally he  
could ask hard-hitting questions, but there was something very innocent about this man  
that made him feel badly about probing at this level.  
"No –no, I haven’t. But… compatibility with humans has always been of deep interest to  
me. I AM a human being — not by birth, but by upbringing. Despite what Lois has printed,  
I do not hold myself above others."  
"Ah. You’re referring to her "What if god was one of us" article. I thought that might  
rankle."  
"It did. Despite some of the very strange — uh — fan clubs devoted to … well… to me. I  
never considered myself a god-like figure, nor would I ever. Who would WANT to be  
worshipped and idolized like that? I just want to do my thing, and be allowed to live a  
reasonably normal life!"  
"Which kind of brings us full circle. Why do you think she feels this way about you? Lois  
isn’t one for irrationality. I would expect her to approach you with a grain of salt –she isn’t  
one to be taken in by anything or anyone until she has the facts, and of course — she is a  
rather suspicious person by nature — probably due to her father’s – um — indiscretions…  
but she isn’t the kind to initiate a massacre either unless she was 100% sure of the  
rightness of her purpose."  
"Well — after what I tell you, you may concede that she has rightness of purpose," he said,  
his eyes cast slightly to the side.  
<<How do I tell you this without making you hate and fear me? How do I stop the world  
from hating me and fearing me? Where would I go if that became the case? Who could I  
turn to? >>  
Perry blew out his breath. "I hope you aren’t saying what I think you’re saying," he said  
nervously. "I’d hate to think — "  
<<Breathe. Breathe and stay calm. There has to be a reasonable explanation for all this.  
Just wait for it.>>  
"No. I had nothing to do with any of this. Well. Not directly anyway, and most certainly not  
wittingly."  
"Well, son — why not start at the beginning…."  
"There’s no easy way to say something this crazy. But the gist of it is that Lois was  
kidnapped by Tempus, who you no doubt remember, and was taken into an alternate  
universe. Tempus has a time machine."  
Clark paused hesitantly, watching the older man carefully. When Perry’s features remained  
impassive, he continued.  
"She — uh — well — this other world… was overrun by aliens, and she was… kidnapped  
and held prisoner by these aliens. The rub is — these aliens were Kryptonians." Clark  
stopped at Perry’s sudden indrawn hiss of breath.  
Perry put his head in his hands wearily and held this pose for some time. When he raised  
his head, he looked at Clark with an expression that could only be called shell-shocked.  
"This is all true, isn’t it?"  
"You … you’re willing to believe this? So easily?"  
"Like I said — if you can exist — then anything is possible. Not to mention — this explains  
that other Lois, doesn’t it. She was from an alternate universe, wasn’t she?"  
"Yes — a universe where she is married to my counterpart."  
"So I guess that universe isn’t one with an alien invasion."  
"No," he said horrified, "Her relationship with the Clark in her world is completely  
consensual. When I said married, I meant it. They worked together for years and then  
ended up marrying. He keeps his identity as an alien a secret — and that is what Lois was  
trying to get me to do. You see — his parents never died, and under their guidance, he  
took on the guise of ‘Superman’ and managed to keep Clark and ‘Superman’ separate.  
Lois was taken to this universe by Tempus — again in an attempt to screw things up  
between them, and her way of solving the problem was to get to me, and get my help in  
getting home. She couldn’t leave well enough alone," he smiled in the memory, "and  
worked her hardest to get me to be like her husband… well — not really like her husband  
— she didn’t want — well — not me — but she wanted –"  
"I understand," said Perry in an attempt to rescue the young man from his verbal  
floundering. "So she really was Lois — just not — OUR Lois."  
"Yes."  
"That is a huge relief. I’ve been trying really hard to construct a scenario where all this,  
including Lois’s antipathy towards you — makes sense, and I haven’t been able to do so.  
Knowing the truth makes dealing with the current reality much easier."  
"I’m sorry, Perry," said Clark regretfully, "I had reasons for keeping this all a secret. First  
of all — Lois didn’t want you to know what she had gone through, and I … felt like I would  
be betraying her if I told you her secret. Which I guess I’ve done — but I kind of feel like  
she’s forced my hand." "I can see why you would feel that way. So… her feelings towards  
Kryptonians makes sense to her — the only Kryptonians she’s met were completely unlike  
you. What happened to you in that world? Did you never make it to earth? Did they kill you  
when they arrived?"  
"Uh… well — funny thing about that — well — not really funny. Odd, strange and  
disturbing maybe — "  
"Clark, you’re babbling. I’m used to that from Lois — but never really from you!"  
"My counterpart in that world was the leader of the Kryptonian invasion. The leader of the  
Kryptonians in fact, AND the one who held her hostage — and did… bad things… to her,"  
Clark said glumly.  
Perry sat staring at the young man in horror for what seemed like an eternity.  
<<Clark…evil. Clark as an evil dictator. A ruthless ruler of worlds who hurts and abuses  
women like Lois for his own pleasure. A tyrant. A monster. I remember the venom in her  
voice as she spoke of you — and of our all being taken in. How horrible for her — to come  
back to the warm and safe world that is home to her, only to have to share it with her  
worst nightmare. Worse yet, to see that you are loved and accepted in a way that even she  
never was. This kind man, this gentle man — this good friend. My virtual son. A cruel and  
heartless monster in the fun-house mirror. Worse yet — what did it take to make that  
distortion? What possible force could be applied to a young child to yield the monster  
instead of the good man standing here?>>  
"Please… say something," begged Clark.  
"I… well — I — don’t really know what to say…"  
"You’re just staring at me — are you… trying to picture it? Him?"  
"I guess I was. It’s nearly impossible for me to look at you and imagine you as what you’ve  
described."  
"Well — I don’t think he’d look exactly like me. The years of brutality and cruelty would  
have left its mark on his features — I’m sure that anybody in his presence would  
immediately be able to discern his true character. At least I hope — god I hope… my  
biggest fear is that he will somehow find out about alternate worlds and find a way to  
come here — or to others like this one."  
Perry took another deep and exhausted breath. "That… would be… bad. But — I- one last  
question. Why would he have taken her in the first place- this Tempus guy? What does he  
have to gain by doing this to her?"  
"He blames Lois and I for creating a utopian like environment in the future. He somehow  
thinks that we help influence society in such a way that the world becomes crime-free. He  
says it’s unbearable and that there’s no place for a ‘brilliant criminal mind’ such as his. So  
he and his counterparts spend an inordinate amount of time trying to drive a wedge  
between Lois and I. In this case… it appears to have worked."  
"How in the world do the two of you achieve this lofty goal? It seems unbelievable."  
"I thought you said anything was possible!"  
"Uh — except world peace and happiness… I know the human race too well… you forget  
how long I’ve been in this business."  
"I’m not really sure — exactly. I think it has to do with our producing — descendants."  
"Well — it isn’t like that’s going to happen — so Tempus can leave her alone, at the very  
least, in this universe. I mean — no offense, Son — but the chances of her ever wanting to  
be with you that way are pretty much nil. Of course I’m sure after all her articles, you’re  
not terribly keen on –" Perry stopped short and watched as a hollow and anguished  
expression entered the young mans eyes.  
"Oh my god — you… you’re in love with her!"  
Clark looked up at the older man startled, the truth of his observation reflecting clearly in  
his eyes.  
"How… do you figure that?" he hedged.  
"You just get this … this look when you talk about her. It’s… well — if you’ll forgive me  
for saying so, it’s a bleak and lonely kind of look," Perry said with a regretful wince.  
Clark sighed deeply. "Yes. I — I do love her." The admission felt cathartic.  
"But… I mean — you don’t really know her, son — so are you sure about this? Maybe you  
love the OTHER Lois — which is the woman that our Lois might have become, had she not  
been kidnapped."  
"That other Lois was extraordinary — I’ll give you that — but it goes deeper than that. Lois  
and I are … well — I guess this is going to sound kind of crazy to you, but how much  
crazier than anything else I’ve told you today… we’re soul mates, she and I."  
"Soul mates."  
"Yes — I know it sounds inane, and sappy and ridiculous, but I know it to be true. The  
man who invented the machine which was used to kidnap Lois also invented this soul-  
tracer device and managed to identify that Lois and I are current incarnations of this soul-  
pairing that keeps getting foiled, life-time after life-time."  
"Oh. Well — in that case — I guess it makes sense then."  
"You don’t believe me," he said, crestfallen.  
"No — it isn’t that. It’s just — I don’t even know that I believe in souls, you know? So what  
you’re telling me — kind of challenges some assumptions I’ve made — assumptions I’m  
not sure I want challenged."  
"This doesn’t really endorse any particular religions teachings — for all we know — any  
and all stories that have been put forth about afterlife are just bunk."  
"But I kind of like the idea of … it all ending when I die."  
"And for all intents and purposes, it might. A soul could be without any kind of self  
awareness until it inhabits a living  
body… you know? It may not even have any affect on the personality of the being it  
inhabits — "  
"It just… well, it bugs me — I’ll leave it at that. I can let it go though… mainly because I  
have to, in order to maintain my sanity. I don’t want to wonder if Alice is really my soul  
mate, for example."  
"Ah — yes. I see your point. This kind of information can drive you batty. I guess that’s  
what bothers me. If Lois IS my soul- mate, and I know this to be true … then that doesn’t  
speak too well for my future. "  
"Yea… the chances of her ever wanting to enter into a romantic relationship with you are  
pretty — well — dim… I’m sorry, Clark. This has to be tearing you apart."  
"I keep trying to tell myself that it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that she’s alive and  
well, and that she somehow finds a way to have a happy life. But … well, it really does  
matter. I can’t deny that — I see her and I just lose focus of everything rational. I just want  
to be near her — I want to talk to her — and have her talk back — and laugh and smile.  
She thinks I’m a monster though, and that isn’t likely to change any time soon."  
"I’d like to lie to you son, and tell you I thought otherwise, but you probably look enough  
like him that she wouldn’t be able to ever stop seeing him instead of you." He sighed  
heavily. "I don’t know what to say to you."  
"Just… letting me tell you all this — that means everything. I hope you know that this all  
has to be off the record — I know you aren’t a newspaperman these days — but… "  
"I know. First — people would think we were both certifiably insane if we ever discussed  
any of this publicly, and second — I’d hate to think of what would happen if a man like  
Luthor found out about alternate universes. I used to think the man was a philanthropist  
— a good and caring person, but after becoming Mayor, and fielding his many attempts at  
… getting me into his pocket — I realize now that he’s not to be trusted. I worry about  
Lois and her affiliation with him. He’s always been attracted to her… and Lex isn’t the  
kind of man to take no for an answer."  
"He had better be willing to take no for an answer," said Clark in an ominous and grim  
tone. "She may hate me — but I’m not going to stand back idly and let that man do  
anything harmful to her — not if I can stop it. He lays one unwelcome hand on her, and I’ll  
be there to put a stop to it."  
Perry looked up at the young man admiringly. "You would, too. That’s the thing I really  
like about you, Son. She’s going all out, trying to turn public opinion against you, and you  
would come to her aid in an instant. If she were doing this to Luthor, he’d probably have a  
contract put out on her."  
"I don’t work that way. People are entitled to their opinions — I don’t have the right to  
force people into liking me."  
"True — but… well let’s just say that others in your position might act differently."  
"Right — like my double. In that other world."  
A glum silence followed that, as both men considered the horrible possibilities that  
existed in that other world.  
"Perry — I’ve taken up enough of your time. I think I’m going to go and see if all is well in  
the city."  
"Yea — sorry to have kept you. Listen — we’d love to see you sometime for dinner… Alice  
has been worrying about you ever since Lois went on her reign of terror."  
"I’m okay — please thank her for me — but I’m okay." He sighed wearily. "Look — I  
appreciate it — but these days — I kind of like just kind of being on my own. I don’t want  
to speculate with anyone about why Lois feels as she does — even Alice… I know too  
much about it — and I always feel like I’m lying when I have conversations with people  
about it. Just give me a little while to see if this blows over — you know — after it  
becomes yesterday’s news… and then I’d love to get together. Is that okay with you?"  
"Yea – I just — well — you can talk to us — or me any time you want!"  
"I know! That’s why I’m here today!" He got up and quickly spun into his suit. "Take care,  
my best to Alice!"  
Perry stared at the open window and spoke aloud in the now-empty room. "Soul mates…  
that poor guy."  
Lois looked uncertainly at the word document waiting patiently on her laptop screen, and  
read back some of what she had written.  
<<The consequences of trusting Superman too quickly and easily and without any kind of  
boundaries at all is that we leave ourselves completely open to attack. And while it is  
possibly true that actions do, indeed speak for themselves, and that we are in no  
immediate or future danger, can we afford to really take that risk? Ought we not be wary  
of super-powered extra- terrestrials bearing friendship? The likelihood of someone  
possessing great power and not wanting to use it to control others is staggeringly low>>  
She sighed in troubled consternation.  
<<Why does this bug me so much. Why does it seem so bigoted? >>  
She allowed her troubled mind to reflect back on the last three months of Superman  
activity. During this time, the man had done absolutely nothing which could even  
remotely be construed as threatening. In fact — the opposite was quite true — he had  
performed some major acts of heroism.  
She first reflected back on a recent spate of fires in the city — all which seemed to flare up  
around the same time. The result of which was that Superman had to be in 4 different  
places at once. He did his very best — and very few people had died — but Lois was  
haunted by the look on his face and in his eyes as he talked with TV reporters about the  
lives he hadn’t been able to save. There was one poignant picture that showed him  
holding a young  
child who had suffered major amounts of smoke inhalation. He had been able to save that  
child’s life by quick action, but it was obvious from the video and the photographs that  
the man was deeply affected by the suffering around him.  
<<And of course, that’s how he’s drawn them all in. Now he’s drawing me in, despite  
what I know. I need to be careful! I know better! >>  
Other equally tragic events had seemingly taken their toll on the Man of Steel.  
Earthquakes, tidal waves, and of course — the evils that men do to one another. Not once  
did this powerful man ever use his strength and powers to harm another, even when the  
‘other’ was a child pornographer. He had been grim and angry in the interviews after that  
incident, but never violent — he always stayed well within the law.  
She heaved a heavy sigh. It was getting harder and harder to stay focused. He still  
frightened her greatly — whenever she was physically near him, she felt that same stab of  
fear and dread — the same urge to run and hide — an urge she had to suppress — she  
was a reporter and he was usually the biggest thing in the news. She let her cohorts ask  
him all the questions, but she had to be there to at least record the answers. Eye contact  
had been made between them on many occasions — and not once did he show anything  
other than polite recognition. She kept expecting an angry visit or at the very least an  
occasional reproachful glance… but it just hadn’t happened. She had managed at least to  
avoid any one-on-one conversations, and for that she was grateful — because despite  
what his counterpart had done, she was beginning to feel a great deal of guilt about the  
articles she had been writing.  
<<But this will all be justified, won’t it? He is evil — and he is planning to do us some  
kind of harm. He just plays a really good hero — it’s all acting. Kal-El was very good at  
that sort of thing — manipulation — it was his forte. Granted, he never tried to play the  
hero — but he enjoyed toying with minds — leaving people guessing what his true  
intentions were. But then — his intentions could be good. He could, in fact, be well-  
meaning. And I’m trashing him left and right — subtly enough to avoid a libel lawsuit, but  
enough to turn the tide of popular opinion. And it’s working — I see the change in how  
he’s treated — many still love him — but others seem to look at him with new suspicion in  
their eyes. He’s gracious and kind to everyone he interacts with, but — he has to know  
what’s going on. Even if he isn’t using his telepathy — it’s kind of obvious from their body  
language. >>  
Lois shook her head rapidly in an attempt to shake her conscience out of her head. There  
was one other thing troubling her and she forced herself to face it head on. Luthor. He  
gave her the creeps — it was a simple as that. And in the past, she had learned to trust  
that creep-o-meter that she had. It was always important for a woman to trust her creep-  
o-meter and she had known that since she was a teenager. Luthor kept making annoying  
and underhanded compliments and suggestions that made her want to throw up — but  
hadn’t acted on any of them. She had managed to deflect any and all of his dinner  
invitations, but she could tell his patience was wearing thin. More importantly, she could  
tell that Luthor, out of patience, would be a dangerous man.  
<<Like Kal-El. Oh god — where did that come from? Why does he remind me so much of  
Kal-El? There’s something implacable about this man — something cruel– he doesn’t like  
to lose. Just like Kal-El — and… what’s his — stays his. I can see that. I just hope he  
knows that I am not his. I may work for him — but I belong to me. I just hope he knows  
that. And why is he so quick to approve of my campaign against Clark? I thought he was a  
neutral party, which made it okay to do this… I wasn’t feeding into anyone else’s personal  
agenda — but now, I’m not so sure. It seems almost as if he’s egging me on. As if he’s  
using me as a tool for Clark’s destruction. The only reason I can see him doing that is that  
he either knows something about Clark’s intentions, or he wants to be top-dog. If it’s the  
former, then I’m happy to help — but the latter? I’m just feeding into his own power trip  
and that could have deadly consequences for lots of people, including Clark. >>  
Lois inhaled deeply in frustration.  
<<I can’t do this right now. I need a break.>>  
She packed up her laptop and made ready to go take a long walk in the park.  
She returned from her walk feeling weary and unsatisfied. She had hoped the fresh air  
would help clear her clouded mind, but while walking her conflicting thoughts just kept  
battering at her conscience.  
Prior to her disappearance, Lois had had a reputation for being somewhat of a ‘mad-dog’.  
She hated that particular metaphor because it always brought up the image of something  
wildly out of control. If there was one thing that described her professionally, it was  
‘controlled’. Lois never ever let emotion cloud her judgment when following a story. She  
pursued the truth relentlessly and with integrity — because that was what she wanted.  
The Kerth awards were a nice bonus, but her key goal as a journalist was to expose the  
truth and try to help seek justice for those who could not seek it themselves. She never  
submitted stories that she didn’t believe in completely.  
As she reflected on this, she twisted her mouth in distaste. Try as she might, she could  
not banish her nagging inner voice any longer. Her earlier deep conviction that Kal-El was  
a dangerous man was no longer so deep nor so convincing. Having been back long  
enough to really see this man in action, she couldn’t find one shred of evidence that he  
meant any harm. The only people who really seemed to think that Superman posed any  
kind of problem were either crazy or criminal.  
And then… there was Lex. She didn’t think he was crazy. Is it possible that he was a  
criminal? He was a very wealthy man and Lois was not in the slightest bit naïve. She knew  
that great wealth and power could not really be amassed without a few rules being broken  
along the way. Breaking rules was one thing, but she was really starting to get the  
unpleasant conviction that more had been broken along Luthor’s path. Hearts? Most  
certainly. Luthor was quite a playboy. But even more insidious was the conviction that  
Luthor had left a trail of broken lives and possibly even dead bodies in his wake. Perhaps  
it was he who deserved the keen gaze of her journalistic microscope.  
She shook her head as she paced her apartment.  
<<It used to be so clear. I could see it — right there in front of me and it was so obvious  
that everyone else was just living in happy delusion. But now something has changed. He  
scares the hell out of me — I won’t say that’s changed. I look at his face, and my blood  
runs cold. Could it be that I’m just projecting my feelings about the other Kal-El onto this  
man? Is it as simple as that?>>  
The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she was losing conviction in  
her own beliefs. The man she was vilifying was not living up to the reputation she was  
trying to assign him, and the man she worked for was giving her more and more cause for  
concern. In addition to the dubious nature of his business practices, his not-so-disguised  
advances made her feel even more disgusted — both with him and with herself, even  
though she logically knew that she was not doing anything to lead him on.  
Facing and acknowledging her doubts to herself made her feel worse. She could not  
continue down a path of destroying an innocent man’s reputation, and yet, part of her  
clung to the idea that if he was evil she was doing the right thing. But that big if had  
become a small if, and could she justify her actions any longer based on a shrinking  
probability that her path was the right path?  
Could she live with herself if she succeeded in her goal of turning the tide of human  
opinion against him, especially if it resulted in causing an innocent and good man a great  
deal of unnecessary pain? Earth was all he had for a home, and he had no kinsmen  
around, or so it was believed. Where would he go? Live in seclusion if the world cast him  
out? He was alone in the world, he had no family. To whom did he go for counsel or  
comfort? Were her articles hurtful to him? Who helped him to deal with that hurt? Who –  
<< I need to stop this. I really can’t let myself care about his feelings. I owe my readers a  
duty to stick to the truth. Ah, but that’s the problem. The truth. Just what is the truth  
here? What if he’s just manipulating my mind telepathically? Why would he do it? I guess if  
he were doing it, it would be to amuse himself… if he could turn me to his side — that  
would be quite the little victory. But that sounds like a lame scenario to even me. I can’t  
even make myself believe that.>>  
She decided she needed to share these thoughts with someone else, and she knew that  
someone else had to be Lucy. Perry would work overtime trying to convince her to follow  
these new doubts…. and although Lucy might try as well, but she knew that she would  
have more strength spurning Lucy’s opinion that in spurning Perry’s. After all, Lucy had  
been her baby sister for many years, and it was easy to just scoff at what she had to say,  
even if deep down she valued her opinions.  
She sighed heavily. How did I get myself into this mess?  
<<Aha! See?!? You admit this is a mess. You admit you might have been wrong all along.  
>>  
She cursed her inner voice. Why couldn’t it be on her side for once?  
<<I am on your side. You just don’t know what side you are on yet. Have I ever been  
wrong? I’m not asking you to like the guy… but he’s never done anything to you and  
you’re destroying his reputation. He’s an orphan. Alone in the universe, and you are  
taking away his peaceful existence. If he is innocent and truly means well, what you’ve  
done is reprehensible. You are turning people against him, forcing him to pay for the  
crimes of another man.>>  
Guilt and remorse assailing her, she went out to see her sister.  
"Lucy. I really need to talk to you." She was relieved to find her at home, and alone.  
"Lois. I don’t know whether or not I should even be talking to you. I’m really mad at you."  
"I know… and rightfully so."  
"Don’t try to sweet talk me out of it — you were supposed to — you just agreed with me,  
didn’t you? If you knew I’d be angry, why did you blow me off like that? Remember… we  
had an agreement."  
Lois took in a deep securing breath. She was about to admit something out loud that she  
never thought she would admit. By admitting this, she felt that she was going to be  
committing to a very different course of action… one that had some very nerve- wracking  
implications down the line.  
"I was afraid… that you might get me to change my mind. I didn’t want that."  
"Don’t give me that garbage. I’ve never been able to convince you of anything that you  
already hadn’t already convinced yourself… oh — "  
Her voice trailed off as she realized the import of what Lois was saying. "So you know…  
you know you’ve made a mistake."  
"Not so fast, not nearly so fast…. I’m not saying that I’m wrong about Kal-El. But I guess  
what I’m trying to say is that… I’m not so sure I’m right anymore either." She sighed in  
frustration. "You see — it was all so easy when I came back. I knew he was evil. I knew he  
had malicious intent. I knew he intended harm. But the more time I’ve spend back… Lucy  
— you know me. You know I’m not some crackpot claiming that the world is going to end.  
I’m reasonably levelheaded when it comes to my investigations. I never let my own  
personal feelings cloud the truth behind a story."  
"Lois," Lucy interrupted. "Please just get to the point."  
"I guess it’s been hard for me to avoid seeing that — I’m not saying that I like him. I don’t.  
I’m not saying that he doesn’t give me the cold shakes whenever he’s anywhere remotely  
near where I am. He does. I’m just starting to doubt that it’s his fault that he makes me  
react that way. I used to trust my instinctive reaction to people, but now I don’t know  
what to believe. I feel like my own mind is betraying me. You can’t possibly know how  
awful that is — to not be able to trust yourself. I feel that somehow my effectiveness as a  
reporter is gone. How can I continue to investigate the truth when my own instincts have  
become so unusable?"  
"They aren’t unusable. You aren’t a bad reporter. I imagine it must be incredibly hard to  
distinguish between two identical men. They are counterparts across universes — so in an  
odd sense, they are the same person. I don’t blame you at all for ignoring the evidence  
before you and sticking to your guns. But in another sense, they are completely different  
people. Lois, if your instincts kept telling you he was evil, then you wouldn’t be feeling  
any guilt here. Obviously some part of you is working as it ever did, and that part is  
asserting itself and making you crazy. You just have to learn to trust that particular  
instinct and try not to trust your immediate reaction to the guy. I wish you had someone  
to talk to about this. Someone professional — but how do you tell someone your story  
without having them write you off as crazy?"  
"Talking to you helps. It helps enormously. I’m just not sure it will be enough."  
"I’m always here for you though, I hope you know that. You make me really angry  
sometimes… but that doesn’t surprise me. After all, we’re sisters."  
Lois hugged her sister appreciatively. Lucy was a real big help — unloading her feelings of  
ambivalence had helped her in a small way to sort out how she really felt about things. It  
calmed and soothed her… and made her feel less like she was alone in the world.  
Much later, after she returned to her own apartment, she turned and contemplated her  
laptop sitting there all alone on the table. Until she had a better sense of what her next  
move should be she would stop the articles. Her relationship with Luthor would end.  
Luthor would not be pleased.  
She took a deep and calming breath. It was better to let Luthor know now rather than  
delay it any further. She picked up her cell phone and called his private number. She  
flinched in disgust as she heard his voice on the other end.  
"Lex."  
"Lois, my dear, how my I help you? Is something wrong?"  
"Lex… we need to talk. Is now a good time for you to see me?  
"Anytime is a good time for me to see you. I hope I haven’t left you in any doubt of that."  
His voice had taken on a slightly sexual edge to it.  
"I’ll be at your office in -"  
"No, I’m not at my office. I’m on the road right now. I’ll have David drive out to your place  
around 7 pm and pick you up for dinner."  
"I don’t –" she started to protest, but then she heard the telltale silence that meant the call  
had ended. The bastard had hung up before giving her a chance to refuse his invitation.  
She could call him again, but she knew that Lex did not like to hear refusals, and as she  
was about to end their relationship, it behooved her to not start the conversation out over  
hard feelings. Luthor was a powerful, and as she had recently begun to think, dangerous  
man. She felt instinctively that it would be better to break this news in as friendly a way as  
possible. That having been decided, she realized that she had better start thinking about  
what to wear.  
Hours later, Lex’s chauffeur showed up at her apartment. She was dressed elegantly in a  
long sleeveless black dress that was neither dowdy nor overtly sexual. It was a dress  
suitable for an elegant dinner with a platonic business associate. She wanted him to be  
aware on no uncertain terms that this was not a date, nor was it a prelude to something  
more. It was a dress that she had bought years ago, and back then it fitted her like it had  
been made for her. Now it hung on her frame loosely, emphasizing her fragile and  
wraithlike figure.  
She was dismayed to see the car pull up in front of Lex’s home. When he had invited her  
to dinner, she was sure that they were going to dine in a restaurant. The idea of being  
trapped here in his own…. lair…made her current course of action seem ridiculously  
suicidal. Her feelings of being menaced increased tenfold  
<<Nobody will hear me scream here. And if they do… they won’t do anything about it.  
>>  
She sat there, not getting out even after David had opened her door.  
<< Run! Run away!! >>  
She sighed in frustration. Was her inner voice betraying her? Or should she heed it and do  
the unthinkable — hijack this car… or worse, much, much worse, call for Superman’s  
help?  
"Ah, Lois! Let me help you out." Luthor had come down to the door of the car after waiting  
impatiently for her to exit the vehicle on her own volition.  
<<Too late! Too late! No…. Not too late. Superman will come if you call. There’s always  
Superman. No. I can’t call him. That’s ridiculous. Frying pan and fire, after all. >>  
Quelling her thoughts in frustration, she decided she had no choice but to go through  
with this dinner. She forced the appearance of calm indifference and held out her hand for  
assistance out of the car.  
As they walked towards the house she kept a decent distance between them. His  
encroachment on her person space would not be tolerated lightly.  
"Lois, I hope you like Lobster? "  
"Lex, I like it just fine. But really — you shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble. We would  
have had this talk without all this. Or we could have had it in a restaurant."  
"This is much cozier, don’t you think?"  
<<Too cozy. >>  
"You seem troubled, my dear."  
"Lex. I’d really appreciate it if you called me ‘Lois.’"  
"Why yes, of course," he said, surprise in his tone. "I had no idea you were offended by my  
style of address."  
<<Liar. You are deliberately trying to keep me off-center.>>  
Her antagonism towards him was increasing every second. She was amazed he couldn’t  
feel it emanating of her skin. She felt all prickly and stiff.  
They went inside, and after they had gotten settled with drinks — his a snifter of fine  
brandy, and hers a tall glass of ice water, she burst out with her news.  
"Lex. I’ve decided to make some changes in my life." "Oh?"  
"I’m…. taking a break from reporting for a while. I don’t want to continue my current  
series of articles about Clark Kent, and I don’t want to work for Luthor news anymore….  
At least now for now." She threw in the last as some kind of bone in hopes of appeasing  
him. But she knew he wasn’t much of anybody’s fool.  
"Oh. I see." His voice and manner were pleasant and cordial but she could feel a  
dangerous undercurrent that wasn’t there before.  
"I hope you understand. This has nothing at all to do with you. I just need to take some  
time off and… get grounded again. My amnesia and my disappearance have taken a real  
toll on me and I just want to feel like Lois Lane again. It’s hard to explain — I know if  
someone had said something like this to me three years ago, I’d have been pretty  
scornful. I’ve never been much on the whole ‘finding oneself’ way of thinking."  
"I do understand, My — Lois. I know that whatever you’ve been through, it’s been hard on  
you, and you’ve been working so feverishly on this series of articles. It’s been an all-  
consuming passion for you. I have been worried about the level of intensity that you have  
given this project. It almost feels like you had some kind of vendetta against poor Clark,  
and I just didn’t know what to do, or how to react. I’m glad you’re taking a step back."  
What a snake. "I’m glad you see it that way," she said with a forced smile. "I’m really glad  
there are no hard feelings, as I’d hate to see this affect our friendship."  
"In fact, I think this is good for our friendship."  
"Sure — I guess since I won’t be working for you anymore, we won’t have that awkward  
imbalance of … of…" She trailed off, at a loss for a word.  
"Power? Exactly. You see, I knew that you were keeping me at arms  
length because I was your boss. You didn’t want to feel… well, I guess… owned."  
Violent nausea struck her, and she had to take several moments to fight it back.  
Encouraged by her silence, he pressed on.  
"Lois, I think this is a perfect opportunity to deepen our friendship." He got up suddenly  
and moved to where she was sitting. She stood up in shock and backed away a few steps.  
"Lex, I think you’ve misunder-"  
"Lois, I know — I know — you need to find yourself. Go on and do that, find yourself —  
but let me help — let me be there to be your guide! I only want to be able to share in your  
life, don’t deny me that!" He grasped her hand persuasively.  
"Lex, let me go. I’m not interested in that kind of relationship with you." She had to fight  
the urge to sink into sheer panic, but she instinctively knew that panic would only lead to  
a more forceful offensive on his part. "I think I’d better be leaving."  
"Lois, I really do expect better manners from my guests. Please remember whom you’re  
talking to. You don’t have to play these games with me. I know you were interested in me  
before you disappeared. In fact, you were very friendly and flirtatious."  
"I’m not being friendly or flirtatious now. Lex. I want you to let me go. Now."  
"And I want you to stay for dinner. Then you can go." His grip on her tightened  
fractionally.  
"No!" Her panic was rising. He wasn’t going to let her leave. "I said I want to leave now."  
"My cook will be offended. He went to a great deal of trouble to prepare your favorite  
dessert."  
"No! I can’t sta—" she was preparing to make use of her vast knowledge of martial-arts to  
release her wrist from his grasp, but even so — her confidence in her ability to escape this  
situation wasn’t very high. She was in enemy territory. No allies here. Nausea struck her  
with full-force and she started to hear a loud buzzing in her ears.  
Suddenly, she heard a disturbingly familiar voice behind her. "Luthor! Catch!"  
A book came sailing through the air, and reflexively, Luthor reached up and caught it. He  
looked down at it, and then looked up in surprise at the person who threw it at him.  
"A dictionary? Why a dictionary, and, oh, by the way, why are you trespassing in my home?  
I hope I don’t have to call the police."  
"The word ‘No’ can be found under the letter ‘N’."  
Lois turned hesitantly towards the voice, already knowing that it was Clark. She braced  
herself for the sight of him. To her great dismay, he stood there in his Superman red and  
blues, and she felt like she had been delivered a great blow. Standing there, looking all  
grim and resolute, she felt like she was once again back in that other world, cowering  
before an angry Kal-El.  
That Clark was angry was glaringly obvious. She could almost see his hands curling into  
fists, and she could feel rage emanating from him in hot searing waves. He was very angry  
and all she could think was that he was angry at her. Kal-El had always blamed her when  
one of his fellow lords had touched or looked at her in a way that triggered Kal-El’s  
jealousy. Was Clark through with any pretence he may have been playing? Was he angry to  
see Luthor touching her because he felt that she belonged to him? Was he about to make  
a hostile move? He looked and sounded so utterly like the other, that she was frozen in  
her horror.  
"Clark. You are embarrassing my guest," Luthor smiled genially. "Come now — can’t a  
fellow have a nice dinner with a friend without being ordered about by super-powered  
beings?"  
"It’s a free country, Lex. Much as you would wish otherwise. Ms. Lane has indicated rather  
vehemently that she wishes to leave, and you are attempting to force her to stay here  
against her own will. Sorry old boy, but I can’t just stand back and let you treat people like  
that." Clark’s reply was equally as genial; he would meet Luthor on his own ground.  
Luthor looked affronted. "Why — I was only concerned about my cook’s feelings. I saw no  
reason for us to end this meeting of friends without partaking of a delightful meal made  
especially for Ms. Lane here. I’m sure it’s been a while since anyone really took the time to  
pamper her. Beyond that I meant no offense, and she is, of course, free to leave. My car is  
completely at her disposal." He turned to look at her expectantly.  
His action and words triggered her out of her panic. Dimly, through the haze of  
frightened thoughts, she realized that Superman had just, once again, come to her  
rescue. His anger had been leveled at Lex — not because Lex was encroaching on her  
territory, but because he wasn’t getting her message. At least she hoped that was what  
was making him seem so utterly stern. Emboldened by this realization she was able to  
respond to Lex.  
"I’m leaving, Lex. Extend my apologies to your cook. I’m not hungry anymore."  
"Of course not. How else would you manage to keep that delightfully lean figure of yours?  
Well then, of course, you may leave. I’m sorry if I came on so strongly. I was just  
overcome by the shame of wasting such a nice dinner. Superman, you wouldn’t care to  
stay for dinner, would you, old friend?"  
"No thanks, Lex. I’m not feeling particularly hungry either."  
"Ah. But then — do you ever really feel hunger? Don’t you get all your energy from the  
sun?"  
Clark remained silent. He refused to rise to the bait. Luthor was trying to point out  
explicitly that Clark was an oddity. A freak. An alien. One question such as this would no  
doubt lead to more embarrassing and probing questions about his ‘bodily functions’, and  
Clark was in no mood to play this game.  
"Ms. Lane," he said turning to Lois, who was having trouble meeting his gaze. She looked  
so frail and vulnerable and miserable. Her dress hung on her loosely emphasizing her  
current state of frailty. "I urge you to take Lex’s offer of a ride home, as I’m sure it doesn’t  
involve his being in the car with you. But please be assured that I am at your service as  
well, and will come to your aid if you should require it." Although normally he might offer  
to fly someone to a position of safety, he was astute enough to know that she couldn’t  
possibly surrender herself completely into his power like that.  
Lois was startled — she had expected an offer to fly her home, and she felt a sudden  
sense of gratitude towards him — she felt as if he had deliberately avoided making an  
offer to avoid putting her in an awkward position of refusing him. She looked up at him  
suddenly, causing a brief startled look to appear on his face. It satisfied her to see a break  
in the remote-cool armor he was wearing, although she didn’t really know why.  
"Thank you," she said, her voice low but strong. "I will be fine and I appreciate your offer  
of assistance."  
Superman stuck around while she got into the car, and as the car drove off, he turned to  
Luthor with determination.  
"I’d advise you to leave her alone."  
"Or you’ll beat me up after school?" Taunted Luthor  
"Well. She might, if you push her hard enough."  
"She was almost mine before she disappeared. Did you know that?"  
"Somehow I doubt it."  
"We had gone on a few dates together, and I could tell she really enjoyed my company.  
She was attracted to me. I know it. I don’t know what’s changed, but I’m not going to let it  
stop me. Don’t think for a moment she’s interested in you. She’d be crazy to let an alien  
come near her. It was clear to me that you make her sick. How does it feel to make  
someone sick just by being in the same room with them?"  
"Just keep that dictionary handy in case you forget the meaning of the word ‘No’ again. I’d  
hate to see you end up behind bars."  
Before Luthor could answer, he flew off. He knew that the man’s impotence at being able  
to follow him and get in that last word infuriated me, and he reveled in it. He felt a bit of  
shame at that, but Luthor really rubbed him the wrong way.  
As he flew into the night, he realized that something had to be done. Lois had shown  
herself to be averse to being in Luthor’s company in a personal setting, but she was  
working with him, which indicated some level of faulty judgment. He needed to make an  
offensive strike against Luthor, one that would terminate Lois’s relationship with the man  
once and for all. He hated to do it, because he felt that he was taking unfair advantage.  
He pushed aside the guilty feelings resolutely. Fire had to be fought with fire. He flew  
quickly home, and gathered what he needed into a briefcase, taking a few seconds to  
change into a less conspicuous outfit.  
Lois jumped suddenly as she heard a knock on her door. Fearing that she would see  
Luthor’s smug face, she looked in the peephole with trepidation. She was utterly shocked  
to see Clark Kent standing there clad as any casual, youngish human male would be. He  
was carrying a briefcase.  
Her heart started pounding rapidly. Her mind was a jumble of panic. Her first instinct was  
to open the door and just run as far away as she could, but she knew that would be a  
fruitless maneuver.  
A million thoughts raced through her troubled mind. He was here to hurt her. Rape her.  
Kill her. To wreak vengeance on her for being in the company of another man. But then, if  
that were all true, wouldn’t he just break in and do it? Or what if he were here to confront  
her about her articles. As sick as that thought made her, it was something she could  
handle. She’d been accused of libel before, and she would be again… It was part of the  
territory of her job. Maybe he came to persuade her of his innocence and goodness and to  
beg her to stop writing her series. That thought troubled her. She didn’t want him to beg  
for her mercy — it was too raw for her to cope with at this point.  
He knocked again. Surely he must know she was there, standing so close to the door. Her  
heart was beating so loud that she felt that anyone could hear it, let alone, a man with  
super sensitive hearing. Resolving to be as brave as she could, she closed her eyes,  
counted to three, and then flung open the door defiantly.  
<<I will show no fear, and I will never beg for mercy.>>  
He started in surprise at the violence of the door opening. He had just given up hope that  
she would ever answer the door. For a long and awkward pause, they stood there  
uncomfortably sharing the same space.  
Although she had buffeted her courage up before opening the door, it failed her when she  
saw him. Her fear response was immediate and intense, and she had to work very hard at  
not grabbing onto the door for support as she felt her whole body get weak. She looked  
at his shoulder, afraid to meet his gaze.  
<<But are you afraid of being punished for looking him in the eye, or are you afraid of  
seeing an innocent man? One that you have harmed? >>  
He took in her response and vowed to take up as little of her time as he could.  
"I guess you are probably wondering why I’m here. And… I know I’m not exactly a  
welcome visitor. I won’t take up much of your time… I just want to give you this."  
She stared at it suspiciously. "What- what is it?"  
"It’s information. Information that we have been compiling against Luthor."  
"W-we?"  
"Perry White. And me. You see — we’ve been unable to pin any of the things he’s been  
doing on him. He’s very good at covering his own involvement in any of his schemes. But  
we know — and he’s all but admitted it to me – that he’s been behind a great number of  
disasters, thefts and murders. Luthor is a very dangerous and evil person, but he’s  
impossible to implicate. His wealth protects him. It’s his invulnerability."  
"But you said — this is information — is it proof?"  
A look of frustration came over his face. "No. And that’s the part that’s really aggravating.  
We can’t make it stick. We just keep amassing this information in hopes that eventually  
we’ll be able to piece something together that lands him where he belongs. In prison for  
life. "  
She was silent. It sounded awfully like her campaign against Clark.  
"You know… maybe if you can’t find anything to stick on him, it’s because there isn’t  
anything. It…. He could be innocent." Even as she said it, she didn’t believe it. She  
couldn’t believe she was able to talk to Clark like this either. He disarmed her, and that  
took her by surprise. She was talking to him almost as if they were colleagues. She snuck  
a direct look at his eyes, feeling now that he would not lash out at her for the eye contact.  
She saw a brief glint of humor there as he responded to her last statement.  
"Ms. Lane. Do you really believe that?" He took an unconscious step forward.  
She suddenly felt the return of her fear. It washed over her like a big ocean wave. "No! I —  
I can’t! I just can’t! I –" she backed away, her fear increasing as she felt strongly menaced.  
She was hardly aware of what she was doing as she slammed the door before he could  
enter. She backed away from the door, fully expecting him to knock it down. She rushed  
to her window, but then didn’t know what to do. And then she realized he could just as  
easily come through the window. She rushed to the door again and looked fearfully out  
the peephole. He was gone. She whirled to look at the window, to see if he had entered  
there, but he hadn’t. There was no trace of him. He had just gone. Gone. She had  
slammed the door in his face, and if she had done that to Kal-El, he’d have killed her. If  
she’d done it to Luthor, he’d probably have stuck his foot in the door and forced his way  
in. But Clark had just left. She stood bemused and confused for a few minutes, not  
knowing what to do next. Wearily, she decided the best course of action was to go to bed,  
and she made her way to her bedroom, her thoughts and feelings swirling in a violent  
storm.  
Sleep would not be hers tonight.  
After she had slammed the door in his face, Clark cursed himself for taking that step  
forward. What was he thinking?  
<<Stupid, Stupid, Stupid! You idiot — she was ready to take the information and you just  
sent her running. Way to go, genius! You’ll never get her to believe you now! >>  
He stood there for a few seconds, not knowing what to do and then he decided that the  
only choice at this point was to beat a strategic retreat. He had sent her into hiding again,  
and he would have to wait for her to come out before trying again. He hoped fervently  
that his actions wouldn’t have the opposite desired effect of pushing her into Luthor’s  
arms. He walked home, preferring to take the slow way home. The darkness of night gave  
him anonymity, and a slow steady pace gave him time to reflect on the night’s events.  
<<She was listening to you, you idiot. And then you just messed it all up.>>  
After leaving her apartment, Clark went quickly home to return the briefcase. After  
securing it safely, he flew over to Perry’s house. He walked up to the front door and rang  
the doorbell. <<Please be home! Please be alone!>> He was relieved to see his good  
friend open the door.  
"Clark!! I didn’t expect to see you tonight!"  
"I know — I should have called first – "  
"Nonsense! Come in — Alice isn’t home yet — but perhaps I can give her a call on her  
cell-phone and — "  
Clark interrupted hastily. "Actually… I’m not really here to socialize. I know — I’m sorry —  
I just need to talk to you about something that happened tonight. With Lois."  
"What happened?"  
"Well, the short story is — I decided to go talk to her about Luthor."  
"Oh no! Please tell me that you didn’t try to give her the – "  
"Yea. I did. Stupid. I know."  
"What happened?"  
"In a nutshell, I freaked her out. It ended with her slamming her door in my face in sheer  
panic."  
Perry winced. "That’s rough," he said sympathetically. "But maybe it isn’t so bad after all.  
You did leave the information, right? So maybe when she’s cooled off a bit — "  
"Uh… no…. I didn’t." "What? Why in the name of Elvis not?" Perry was incredulous.  
He winced in self-recrimination. "I don’t know. I – I wasn’t thinking clearly — I — I didn’t  
want her to think I was pushing my opinion on her. I didn’t want her to resent me for that.  
I also guess I was worried that if Luthor showed up at her door that night, he would find it  
there, and think that somehow she was betraying him."  
"Yes — I suppose I can see your point," Perry said slowly.  
"Well — so now you know. I really messed things up."  
"Clark, you need to stop being so hard on yourself. Your actions were a bit — headstrong  
— but you have to admit to yourself that where Lois is concerned, you aren’t exactly the  
most levelheaded person in the universe. Love makes us do some pretty bizarre things."  
Perry paused, unsure as to whether he should proceed. After brief reflection, he decided  
to ahead with his observation. "You know… Clark… maybe you have another motive for  
trying to break off her relationship with Luthor."  
"You think I’m doing it out of jealousy? Yeah — you probably have a point. But Perry — I  
promise you — I’m not turning into a stalker. I really do want her to have a normal and  
happy life — even if it means I can’t be a part of it. But — but — not with Luthor. You  
know? Tell me you understand that!" Clark looked at his friend with a plea in his eyes. He  
needed for Perry to understand.  
"Yes. I know. And I know you aren’t becoming a stalker. It can’t be easy reading her  
articles, and seeing her with the man. But you don’t need to worry – if there’s one thing I  
know about Lois — it’s that she’s too smart a woman to ever end up Luthor’s dupe. She’s  
going to figure him out, and when she does, he’s better run for cover.  
"You really think so?"  
"Yes. Lois is one of the best reporters out there. Trust me, okay?"  
"Okay. Okay. Maybe… maybe I just need to get some sleep!"  
Across town, Lois grappled with nightmares and her own restless sleep. At one point,  
suspended in that twilight space between  
awake and sleeping, she was absolutely sure she could see a tall male shape standing at  
her bedside. Her body had been gripped with the paralysis of deep sleep, and yet it  
seemed as if she were actually awake.  
Frantically, and with and increasing sense of panic, she focused all her energies on  
moving her finger. If she could move one little part of her body, she would force her body  
awake, dispelling the paralysis. To her great relief, it worked, and the male shape  
vanished. She was completely alone.  
She sat up and looked around warily. Had there actually been someone here, or was it just  
something her sub-conscious had churned up?  
<<I should get up and look around.>>  
She desperately did not want to get up to look, but she knew that if there was someone  
there, staying in bed wasn’t going to make her any safer.  
<<What if it’s Kal-El, or Tempus? What if they’ve come to take me back there? Oh god!  
How could I ever stop them? >>  
Fueled by these awful thoughts, she jumped out of bed agitatedly and grabbed the  
hammer she had taken to leaving under her pillow. A hammer would be of little use  
against a Kryptonian, but she could probably disable Tempus or Luthor with it. Her heart  
pounding hard in her throat, she turned the lights on and started to investigate every  
square inch of her apartment. Methodically she went through the place, grateful for the  
fact that she had deliberately chosen a small apartment.  
Across town, Clark was also awake. He kept having nightmares that Luthor had abducted  
Lois. In each of these dreams he was surrounded by all kinds of horrible disasters and was  
unable to come to her rescue. He kept calling out to her that he would be there soon, but  
in the end, he kept failing to save her. When the disasters were over, he found that he was  
unable to find her, no matter how hard he looked. It was horrible and frustrating, and  
even worse — he feared that these dreams might somehow be prophetic. Luthor was a  
very dangerous man, and he was never more dangerous than just after being crossed.  
Luthor would not handle Lois’s rejection lightly. Surely Lois wouldn’t continue her  
professional relationship with Luthor. She must see how dangerous that would be.  
Plagued by these thoughts, Clark fell back into restless sleep — his physical body didn’t  
need nightly sleep, but his conscious mind needed the downtime in order to stay in peak  
condition.  
Once again, he found himself hearing her cries in his sleep. He dreamt that he flew over  
to her apartment, and that he entered her room where she lay sleeping. He dreamt that he  
stood over her bed, watching her to make sure she was okay — a superhuman bodyguard.  
The dream was particularly vivid. Oddly, he felt as if he was looking at her bedroom from  
her vantage point. In his dream, she started to stir awake, and he suddenly woke up.  
He sat up feeling unsettled. Was it possible that he was actually in her room? That didn’t  
really make any sense — there were no open windows that indicated that he had left his  
bedroom at all that night.  
<<Maybe telepathically?>>  
He considered that thought. Whenever he had discovered new powers as a youth, he had  
to work hard at controlling them. Was it possible that like a sleep-walker, he was sleep-  
projecting? If that were true, he had a big problem on his hands. It was unthinkable to go  
around invading people’s thoughts.  
Lois sat down on her couch after ensuring that her apartment was empty except for  
herself. She let out a deep sigh of relief as she sat on the couch. She turned on the  
television in order to numb her brain into a calmer sleep. It worked like a charm. Watching  
a mindless infomercial, Lois finally fell into a dreamless sleep.  
Across town Clark decided to start his day. The last thing he wanted was to end up in her  
head again. He decided instead that he would go out flying and see if anyone needed his  
help.  
<<These days, I need the brownie points.>>  
Although people weren’t overtly showing any signs of antagonism towards him, the  
general climate had changed since Lois began her series of articles. When he saved lives,  
the people he saved were always overcome with joy and gratitude, but often times when  
he was wandering around as Clark, he felt that there was more mistrust and wariness than  
ever before.  
<<And who can blame them? You would feel the same way if roles were reversed. Still, a  
little hero action might tip the scales back in my favor.>>  
The next morning, Lois woke up. She turned on the news and began to stretch her  
cramped muscles. She was surprised to hear that Superman had been unusually active last  
night, saving a few lives and preventing a few muggings.  
<<I guess he had trouble sleeping too.>>  
She wandered cautiously over to the door and checked out the peephole. She then went to  
the window and looked carefully to see if there were any suspicious people or cars nearby.  
<<Shouldn’t you be looking up into the sky? >>  
With a start, she realized she wasn’t looking for Clark — it was Luthor she was looking  
for. Luthor was not a man who liked to be foiled, and she was absolutely certain that he  
would somehow get revenge for what had happened. She had gained a new enemy last  
night, and he was nearly as formidable as Kal-El — of that she was sure.  
She regretted not taking the briefcase, but that couldn’t be helped now. When he had  
moved forward like that, she had been absolutely sure that he was coming at her with  
malicious intent. In the cold light of day, she had to admit to herself that it was unlikely  
he was trying to force is way into her apartment. He probably hadn’t even been aware that  
he had taken a step forward.  
<<Not until you panicked and acted like a complete idiot. Damn. I wish he’d left the  
briefcase. I wonder why he didn’t, if it was so important to him that I see his research. He  
said he was working with Perry on this. I’ll bet Perry has his own copies of whatever Clark  
has, and will be more than willing to share it with me once I tell him that I’ve quit working  
with Luthor. >>  
20 minutes later, she knocked on the door of the White household.  
"Lois!" Perry looked at her, feigning surprise. "What brings you here so early in the  
morning?"  
"I really needed to talk to you, and I didn’t want anyone to see us together."  
"Okay…"  
She wandered into his house and looked around agitatedly.  
"Alice isn’t here right now — but she left breakfast. Are you hungry? Want some coffee?"  
"No — look, Perry — I just want to cut to the chase here. I’m sorry — we can socialize  
later."  
"This sounds really serious."  
"Last night, I broke off my – I quit my job." Perry was speechless. Maybe Clark’s actions  
had done some good.  
"Aren’t you going to say anything?"  
"Well… you know how I feel about the man…" he began warily.  
"Yes. You’ve never left me in any doubt of that."  
"Why did you do it?"  
"I just didn’t feel like it was the right thing to be doing. The more I worked with the man,  
the more I kept seeing what you wanted me to see. I simply couldn’t ignore my  
convictions anymore — my convictions that Luthor is not the man he seems to be."  
"That’s my Lois!" Perry looked at her in admiration.  
His words jarred at her and she looked up at him sharply. "I’m not anybody’s Lois," she  
snapped. "I belong to myself!" Immediately as the words were said, she regretted them.  
"I’m sorry — I don’t know why I said that. I — things have just been really hard for me."  
"Lois. Please! I understand," he said compassionately.  
She looked at him suspiciously reading the knowledge and awareness in his eyes and  
voice.  
"Okay. So what do you know," she asked him angrily? "What exactly has Clark Kent told  
you about me?"  
"He told me everything, Lois. Everything that he knew." He braced himself for what surely  
would be an explosive reaction.  
She closed her eyes in disbelief. She could feel herself getting angry and her first instinct  
was to try to beat those feelings back. Kal-El had never tolerated anger from his ‘slaves’.  
Fear was the only real emotion he permitted, and quite frankly, it was never all that  
difficult to oblige him that.  
"I –I just don’t know what to say." She shook her head in confusion, at a complete loss for  
words.  
"Well… I guess I can understand if you’re angry."  
Perry’s words suddenly pierced through the haze of shock surrounding her thoughts. With  
great clarity she felt an immense surge of fury.  
"Angry? You don’t know — he had NO right to tell you what happened. What was he  
thinking? What was his motive? And You? Why didn’t you tell me that you knew? I’ll tell  
you why! You didn’t tell me because Clark is too important to you now. He’s taken my  
place as far as you’re concerned. God, Perry — I thought I could trust you! Knowing that  
you two have been talking about me behind my back — ugh! I feel so betrayed — and —  
and violated! What else have you two been talking about? Did he tell you all the pretty  
details?"  
"Okay. You need to calm down for a minute so we can talk this out. I know you must feel  
–"  
"Oh –" She interrupted him angrily. "I’m so glad you know how I feel. That really is  
reassuring. A weight off of my shoulders, in fact. Do tell me, Perry, how exactly do I feel?"  
Her voice dripped with bitter sarcasm.  
"Lois — please!"  
Fueled by her anger, she continued scathingly. "He had no right to tell you. None! This  
was none of his business. If I didn’t tell you myself, he should have guessed that I didn’t  
want you to know just yet. You know — and here’s the really funny thing — I was actually  
starting to think that maybe, just maybe, I had misjudged him. But now I see that he’s just  
like any other lousy Kryptonian. The sheer arrogance of the man — he didn’t care how I  
felt about this at all – he just went ahead with his own agenda — stepping all over my  
feelings. Did he even stop to think how I would feel about this? Of course not! That would  
be asking too much out of a bullying, arrogant Kryptonian!"  
"Okay — now — hold on just a moment." Perry had to raise his voice to even get her  
attention. "You need to give me a chance to start talking here. He’s not the bad guy in this  
story."  
"Defending him, Perry? What a monumental surprise!"  
"Just… just please. Give me a chance here. Okay? I can’t defend my actions, or even hope  
to explain his, if you keep yelling at me. Please, Lois. Please?"  
She sat silently, giving him an impatient look that said all too clearly: Well? Go Ahead,  
already!  
"You have every right to be angry with me, Lois — but Clark did NOT want to tell me  
about what happened. He tried to keep it a secret."  
"I’ll just bet he did," she said scathingly. "Why wouldn’t he? Why would he want to tell you  
about a world where he was a vicious and sadistic ruler? – "  
"Oh come on — you can’t have it both ways. Either he’s damned for not telling me, in  
which case he’s trying to hide some horrible truth about himself… or he’s damned  
because he did- in which case he’s spilling your secrets. Which is it?"  
"I — I — well — he had no right to tell you. And you really should have told me you knew.  
You can’t deny that," she added  
hotly, regaining her ground.  
"Look — I know you won’t believe this, but I really did drag the truth out of him — and he  
wasn’t so thrilled about having to tell me. He knew you’d be angry."  
"Oh, he did, did he? He knows me that well, does he?"  
"Will you please let me finish?"  
She took a deep frustrated breath, and then she nodded. She knew she was behaving  
badly, but she just couldn’t seem to stop herself.  
"I’m the one who called him into my office to tell him you had returned. He told me that  
he knew. Something in his manner led me to believe he knew more, and I kept poking at  
him to tell me. It kept sounding more and more like he had something to do with your  
disappearance, and after I suggested that to him… well, he finally gave in."  
"So then — faced with keeping my story to himself or saving his own reputation, he  
sacrificed me to save himself. What a hero."  
"It wasn’t like that. He really didn’t want to tell me. He felt that you deliberately didn’t tell  
me what had happened because you didn’t want me to know, and he felt really badly  
about doing it."  
"It didn’t stop him though."  
"Come on, Lois — you surely have to see that he had no other choice. What would you  
have honestly done in his place?"  
<<The same>>  
"I don’t know."  
<<Liar>>  
"Lois — whatever you may be feeling — I’m sorry. I understand that it — "  
"No, Perry — you can’t possibly understand."  
"Okay. Okay — you’re right. I can’t. I have no idea what it was like for you." His voice and  
manner softened. "I’m torn in pieces about what you went through. It hurts and angers  
me more than I can ever explain to know that you were in this horrible place being treated  
in such a terrible way. I’m sorry. If I’d known — I’d have moved mountains to get you  
back."  
Disarmed by his change in manner, she felt her anger start to cool.  
"Perry — I know — you couldn’t have done anything."  
"I feel like I should have. For what it’s worth, Clark feels the same way."  
"Why? Why should he even give the slightest bit of a damn about me?"  
"You don’t know him. He cares about everyone — well — mostly everyone. But he bonded  
with –" he stopped short.  
"Bonded with… Oh. Yes. My doppelganger."  
"How much do you know about the other Lois Lane? She was all over the papers when she  
arrived, so I’m guessing you know about her existence."  
"I know enough," she said shortly.  
"Do you know where she came from?"  
"Yes — I know she was forced into this universe by the same psycho who took me into  
that other hellish world."  
"We thought she was you." Perry stopped talking suddenly and wandered over to the  
couch. He sat down next to her and very gingerly took her hands into his hands. To her  
great surprise, she didn’t feel any discomfort at the contact. "Lois, I can’t begin to put into  
words how happy we were. Your parents were so overcome by your return. You have no  
idea — you don’t have children, and you can’t possibly understand how much it hurts a  
parent to lose a child –"  
She pulled her hands roughly out of his. Her voice was bitter as she responded.  
"No. I guess I won’t ever understand that — children aren’t going to be part of my future.  
Not anymore. Thanks to Kal-El."  
"I — I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to –" Perry’s expression was stricken.  
"No, I’m sorry." Her voice was soft. Her anger was impossible in the face of his open and  
naked concern. Hearing how her ‘death’ had affected him was very moving.  
"I was beside myself, Lois. Clark was curious, and happy — but he didn’t have any  
personal stake in the matter. He liked you — her — a lot, but he was in love with someone  
else. He was going to marry Lana Lang."  
"Yes, and somehow this other Lois managed to mess that all up for him?" Her interest was  
increasing.  
"Lois didn’t waste much time in telling Clark she knew his secret because she needed his  
help getting home. This caused huge problems with Lana. Lana didn’t want Clark’s secret  
exposed either, but Lois convinced him to become Superman. In the end it ended badly  
for Clark. Lana left him, and his secret was out. He had hoped to keep his alien origins a  
secret, like the other Clark, but Tempus messed that all up for him. So, at the end of the  
day, Clark was left alone and lonely — lonely and missing a woman who didn’t even exist  
anymore. I think that he felt that if he could find you — maybe then he’d find that missing  
person in his life."  
She shuddered involuntarily. "Never — ever – ever — "  
"No — no, and he knows that, he really does. He has no intention of ever –"  
She turned away, agitated. "I — fine. Fine. I don’t want to talk about that."  
"Okay. But… can I ask you something?"  
"What," she answered warily.  
"Why didn’t you tell me?"  
She looked at him in long silence.  
"The story… well — it’s just so weird, you know? And… god, Perry — I was a slave — it  
was humiliating — I didn’t want you to see me like that — a slave — a victim."  
"It wasn’t your fault — my god — there was nothing you could have done…"  
"Rationally, I know that," she interrupted fretfully. "But in my heart — well — how would  
you feel, being victimized — wouldn’t you feel kind of — weakened and lessened by it?"  
"Yes. I see your point. You weren’t… but of course you would feel that way — it’s part of  
who you are. You and I are a lot alike in many ways."  
"I guess there’s more to it, if I really am going to be honest here. I think I felt that if I told  
you, you would work overtime in convincing me that Kal-El and Clark were nothing alike. I  
didn’t want you to do that. I didn’t want you to take the wind out of my sails. Even if I was  
wrong, I wanted to pursue my course of action."  
"And… now? How do you feel about it now? About him?"  
"I don’t know. Sometimes I think — maybe I’m all wrong. But what makes the two men so  
different? How could two counterparts be so different? What if all his alternates are really  
cruel and sadistic underneath their veneer. At the very least don’t we need some kind of  
backup plan in case he does ‘go evil’ on us?"  
"I — well — I don’t see that ever happening"  
"If you had seen what I have seen — and been through what I’ve been through, I’m sure  
you would see the possibility."  
"What it comes down to is – are you going to continue with your article series now that  
you’ve severed your ties with Luthor?"  
"I don’t know," she answered truthfully. "I feel like there’s still so much to learn about the  
man — so many areas to investigate. I’ve had phone calls from a guy named Jason Trask  
who seems awfully eager to meet with me. He works with the federal government. And  
then, there’s Lana Lang. I can’t help but feel she would be a valuable source of  
information because she has intimate knowledge of the man– what… what is it?" She  
stopped talking as she saw the look of disappointment in his eyes.  
"I guess… I’d hoped…. I thought that maybe your increased awareness of what Luthor was  
all about might also be accompanied by a lessening of your antipathy towards Clark."  
"It doesn’t work that way," she said bitterly, feeling a wave of hurt feelings. "You don’t just  
get to wave a magic wand and have it all get better. Clark still bothers me greatly. I can’t  
change that."  
"Well, I really worry about you working with the government on this. I think there are a lot  
of people in power who would like to see Clark lifeless in a test tube somewhere. I just  
don’t trust them."  
"And yet, here you are — a representative of our fine government."  
"Being a city Mayor is vastly different from being some federal employee investigating  
extraterrestrial life. You know as well as I do that if Clark didn’t have the powers that he  
had, he’d have been dissected long ago."  
She winced.  
"I’m glad to see that thought bothers you," he said grimly.  
Her anger and hurt reared up again. "You know — I’m not the evil one here. I’m not the  
bad guy."  
"I never said –"  
‘I’m really tired of it — people whom I love and trust always defending him. I feel like I’ve  
lost my friends and … even my family — my parents and Lucy — they all defend him  
against me — trying to get big-bad mad-dog Lane to stand down. Frankly, I’m really sick  
of it — sick and hurt. I don’t understand why you all keep giving me such a hard time  
about this. Why don’t my feelings and fears have any legitimacy with you all?"  
"They do, Lois. They do — it isn’t that we don’t think you have a point, or that you are  
somehow not quite right in the mind. We just know the guy — we know him really well.  
He’s our friend, and we’ve come to love and trust him on a personal level. This isn’t a  
case of blind trust and faith. If only you could get to know him –"  
She shuddered violently. "I will never get that close with the man. I can’t ever imagine a  
scenario where we end up as friends."  
<<Or lovers.>>  
She flinched mentally at that thought.  
"Maybe — maybe if we had some answers? You know — maybe if you explained a little of  
what the other man was like — or why you think the two men have anything in common  
— beyond of course, their DNA… maybe…. I just can’t go on your feelings alone. I can’t  
help but be convinced that your feelings are just projected from the one man to another.  
And rightly so — if you put me in a universe where Luthor was a good man, I’d have a  
really hard time believing it. I know. What we are asking of you is probably impossible."  
"And I guess it’s impossible for me to expect you to… side with me. I just wish you would  
stop trying to change my mind about him."  
"You are hurting my friend. It’s hard to see someone I love hurt someone else I love. It  
hurts me to see this. I’m sorry… maybe if you talked to me about it — it would help —  
give me some of what you feel when you see him?"  
"Trust me when I say — you don’t want to know."  
"No — I know I probably don’t. But I also think I need to know. Maybe — maybe then it  
would bother me less to see you on this particular path."  
She took a deep frustrated breath. "I’m just not ready to talk about any of this — I’ve been  
trying to push it away from my own thoughts. You know? If I let myself think about it —  
I’ll be back there- back… trapped and lost. I’ll have broken whatever magic spell has me  
here. That my return won’t be real after all? Sounds crazy, eh? I’m afraid to attract the evil  
spirits."  
"Not crazy — not by a long shot. Very understandable, Lois." His voice and manner were  
deeply sympathetic.  
"But… if answers will help — then I suppose — what — what do you want to know?" She  
was wary — wary that he would ask her ugly questions that would lead to even uglier  
remembrances.  
"Just… just this. Were… are they so very much alike?"  
As soon as the words left his mouth he found himself regretting his question. The last  
thing he wanted to do was cause her more pain, and yet here he was – inviting her to  
reflect upon the nature of someone who had caused her unimaginable pain.  
"If — if you’d rather not answer the question… I mean –" He faltered, unable to think of  
what to say next. A condition unfamiliar to the seasoned reporter, editor and politician.  
"No — no — it isn’t that. It’s just — well, I guess I’m not really sure how to answer. Yes. I  
won’t lie to you — I don’t want to talk about it — I don’t want to talk about him. But – if I  
expect you to see my point of view, I understand that I have to be willing to let you look at  
things through my viewfinder — you know?"  
He nodded mutely.  
She took a deep preparatory breath.  
"When I first came back… the first time I saw him, I was shocked. It was — it was just  
horrible. The two men are physically identical – it was like seeing him again — in the  
flesh. But — but that impression only lasted a few moments. It didn’t take very long for  
me to see that while they looked a lot a like, it would be very easy to distinguish between  
the two of them if they were standing right next to each other."  
"How so?"  
She pondered this for a few moments, her face twisted in an expression of distaste as she  
tried to focus on what the other Kal-El was like. She shook her head distractedly and let  
out a short mirthless laugh. "You know — I shouldn’t be telling you any of this. It just  
lends further credence to what you’ve been telling me all along." As he opened his mouth  
to speak, she held up an arresting hand. "I’m — I’m just kidding. I really do want to be  
honest, and to talk to someone about how I feel about Clark. I just can’t help but think  
that it’s kind of… not so black and white anymore. So many shades of gray."  
"Most things in life are…"  
"Kal-El was a stern and forbidding man. He carried himself with authority, and in that way  
— he is very much like Superman. Larger than life — tall, imposing, powerful. Both have a  
distance about them — but the source of that distance differs. Superman seems remote —  
as if he’s trying to somehow shield himself from the onslaught of emotion that his  
presence evokes. It’s almost as if he hides behind the name and the costume. And… Kal-  
El was … tyrannical. He carried himself with cruelty — and it was clear that he thought of  
humans as mere toys — to use and then to discard. I never get that feeling from  
Superman, truthfully speaking. But — I warn you – that doesn’t mean I concede that he  
isn’t a threat and that his motives are genuinely pure… it just means that on the face of it,  
the two aren’t as alike as you might expect."  
"Honestly — I don’t expect that they are much alike."  
"No," her mouth twisted into a wry smile. "You wouldn’t. You are a good and loyal friend.  
He’s a lucky man." She said this last statement with an unconscious wistfulness.  
"You know — Lois — you are also very important to me. You –"  
"I know — I know — I wasn’t trying to make you feel badly. Or — well, at least, I don’t  
think I was." She smiled a bit impishly causing him to relax slightly.  
"It’s good to see you smile."  
"I guess I don’t do it often enough anymore."  
"Give it time. You’ll be okay in the end, you know? You’re a strong woman."  
"I know — I know I am. I had to be — to make it home alive." She took a deep breath. "I’m  
not really finished. I said that Superman kind of reminded me of Kal-El in many ways. The  
thing is — Clark hardly reminds me of him at all. Does that seem weird to you?"  
"No — he works hard at making his Superman persona different."  
"Isn’t that odd to you? I mean — doesn’t that strike you as bizarre? Kind of schizophrenic,  
almost?"  
"No –not if you really know the guy. You see, he didn’t want this kind of publicity. His  
parents drilled into him as a child that he should keep his strange arrival a secret — that if  
people ever found out about it, he could end up on someone’s dissection table."  
"That’s awful!"  
"Yet… true. I think that’s why I’ve been worrying about the kinds of connections you are  
planning on making. I don’t want to see some rabid government guy working on your  
fears to help … eliminate Clark."  
"I am not about to become someone’s unwitting pawn, Perry," she said irritably.  
"No — I know that. I didn’t mean to offend you, and – I — why don’t you go on with what  
you were saying about Clark."  
"Well … he just seems so normal. Like a nice normal person. A very nice person. And that  
is what keeps throwing me for a loop."  
"Sometimes the simplest answer is the answer. If it looks like a duck, and it walks like a —  
"  
"Oh — Perry! Please!"  
"In any case — I agree with your assessment about Clark. He is a nice guy, Lois… but even  
before I knew him all that well, he drew me in — he has a certain something… "  
"It’s that damned telepathy, I’ll wager. I’m guessing that’s what keeps people from  
knowing he is in that other universe. You can’t expect me to believe that a pair of glasses  
and a slight alteration of hairstyle and a garish costume are enough to fool the entire  
human race! Especially the people he works with… they’re trained reporters for crying out  
loud."  
"Uh… telepathy?"  
"Yes — you know — he’s telepathic. He can read your mind, and talk to you in your head."  
"Really?"  
"You… you didn’t know that?"  
"No…" Perry’s voice had taken on a distracted quality as he stared worriedly at a point  
beyond her ear.  
"Doesn’t… I mean — doesn’t that strike you as strange? You two are such good friends  
and he never told you about it?"  
"Actually… it does. I mean — he told me a lot about himself — I thought he had kind of  
given me the entire scoop — sort of as an expression of good-faith… so … it — are you  
sure?"  
She winced. "Very sure. Definitely sure about Kal-El, and I am pretty sure that this Clark  
has actually talked to me telepathically at our handful of encounters. I’m not sure he did it  
on purpose, but I did get the feeling that he broadcasted to me."  
"Was he… threatening?"  
"No — no. "  
<<Reassuring, actually.>>  
"What did he say?"  
"It — it wasn’t so much that he was talking to me…"  
<<Liar!>>  
"It was more like a feeling."  
"Huh!"  
"So he never told you?"  
"No."  
"Seems kind of odd. Almost kind of sinister when you think about it. I hate to sing the  
same song again, but that is a pretty invasive ability, and I would expect him to come  
clean about it if he really wanted to show you good faith."  
"Maybe… maybe he felt that if I knew about it, I would be guarded around him… "  
"Even so — you had the right to know, didn’t you? I’d feel better if he had told you, and  
then promised not to — <<violate you>> — read your mind."  
Perry pondered this with a furrowed brow for a few moments, and then he seemed to rally  
back his loyal feelings.  
"Darlin’ if he didn’t tell me, I’m sure he had a really rock- solid reason as to why. I’ll ask  
him when I see him next."  
"You can’t do that," she exclaimed in agitation. "He’ll know that I — that I told you!"  
"Lois — I have to talk to him about this. Now that I know — it would hang over our  
friendship. How do you propose I deal with it? And come on! He knows we are close, he  
has to know that we would, at some point, talk about him to each other."  
She looked troubled and unconvinced. "I don’t… I don’t feel comfortable with him  
knowing — no — you know — you’re right. And for all you know, he’s hearing this  
conversation right now…"  
"Do you really believe that?"  
"I don’t know what to believe anymore. I guess that’s where it stands. I do plan on talking  
with some other folks — and yes — the government contacts as well as people who know  
him on a more personal level, but I promise not to end up killing the guy without your  
express permission."  
"Glad to see you haven’t lost your sarcastic wit."  
She smiled at him with a mixture of amusement and irritation.  
"I’ve taken up enough of your time. It’s time for me to face the day. Perry — thanks –  
thanks for hearing me out."  
"Anytime. And thanks for talking about things that you’d rather not talk about. I know it  
was really hard for you. I’m always here for you — and what you’ve said has given me  
some food for thought. Listen. I do trust you. I know you won’t do anything crazy and that  
you will follow your own sense of right. It’s never led you astray. For whatever my opinion  
is worth these days!"  
"A lot. It’s worth quite a lot. Give my best to Alice, okay?" She pressed his arm briefly,  
unable to stand the close contact of a full bodied hug. "We’ll get together soon."  
After she left, Perry sat down heavily and put his forehead in his hands.  
<<Can this really be true? If he has telepathic abilities, why wouldn’t he tell me? He told  
me that he had told me everything he knew about his abilities. He said he felt that people  
would probably feel threatened by his presence, and that knowledge would empower  
them. So — if he really intended to tell me everything — why did he hold back on this?  
This is major — this isn’t some trifling little power that he forgot about. Being able to  
read minds! To influence others telepathically! That is ultimate power! Could Lois be  
right? Is there a darker reason behind his failure to tell me about it? Or is it something  
simple? And should I ask him? What if he doesn’t want anyone to know? If I tell him I  
know- what will he do — if Lois is right? Would he kill me? Okay — hold on. What am I  
talking about? He’s my best friend. He wouldn’t hurt me or anyone else, for that matter.  
Except maybe for that bastard who hurt Lois so badly. I know he has a good reason for  
not telling me… I just have to find out what it is. I guess the only way to do that is to ask  
him point-blank.>>  
Perry stood up pulled his cell phone off his belt clip. He dialed Clark’s private number.  
"Hello — Clark! I’m glad to reach you. No –no –nothing — no emergency. Look — I really  
need to talk to you. Can you — great. I’ll see you in a few moments."  
As he hit the off button, he heard the familiar sound of his friend flying up to his deck  
door. He hurried over to the glass door and let the superhero in. He had hoped he would  
arrive as Clark — as Lois said, it was easier to interact with Clark… Superman just seemed  
so unreal sometimes.  
"What’s up, Perry?"  
"Lois was just here."  
"I figured as much."  
"Wh — how did you know?"  
"After yesterday… you know — I thought she might want to talk to a trusted friend about  
the man."  
"The man?"  
"Luthor."  
"Oh — oh yes. Yea — she did. She did. But — listen. Look, I have a question to ask you-  
and — I’m not quite sure how to ask."  
"Just … ask." He braced himself slightly, sensing a new wariness from his closest friend in  
the world.  
"Lois — said — well — she said you were telepathic — and — well — well you know — you  
never told me about it — and — "  
Perry stopped stammering and looked at the young man levelly.  
"I wanted to know why you never told me. This seems at odds with your earlier resolve to  
be very open and honest with revealing the extent and limits of your abilities." Clark  
couldn’t help it — he smiled in relief. He thought that Lois somehow had managed to turn  
Perry against him by horror stories of what the other Kal-El had done to her. Quite  
frankly, he wasn’t sure that even he wouldn’t be filled with self-loathing himself if he ever  
found out the details.  
"This isn’t the reaction I expected." Perry’s voice was bland and even, belying the turmoil  
he felt inside.  
"No — no — it’s just — well — I didn’t tell you about it because I didn’t know about it."  
"You didn’t know you were telepathic."  
"My powers don’t just turn on — there may be many other things I can do that I don’t  
know about. Somehow or another Lois has the ability to broadcast her emotions into my  
head and I have the ability to send to her. I think it’s because she spent so much time  
around – my people."  
"Hardly your people — they’re from another universe."  
"You know what I mean.’  
"And you know what I mean. You shouldn’t start identifying with them. You aren’t him —  
you didn’t do those things."  
"And yet, just moments ago, you were willing to — "  
"What?"  
"I sensed a lot of distrust from you. Fear even. And no — I’m not reading your mind. Just  
your body language. I am a reporter you know — I’m trained to read body language."  
"How would you have felt in my shoes?"  
"Much the same."  
"Well, okay then." He smiled at the younger man. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to  
conclusions."  
"I don’t think you did. And I can see how this would bother you. Telepathy is a big thing  
to withhold. It wouldn’t be a huge reach to read some kind of nefarious intent into it all."  
"Except — I know you. I know you very well and I do trust you. But it is a relief none-the-  
less to have it out in the open. Lois, needless to say, didn’t want me to talk to you about  
it, so please don’t mention it to her."  
"Uh — we hardly have conversations. Usually I make her panic and bolt."  
"I know — I — I’m sorry about that, son."  
He shook his head. "I can’t do anything about it. I’ll just have to live with it. But I don’t  
want to lose your good will — so please promise that you will always do what you’ve done  
now? Ask me directly anything that worries you about me?"  
"I promise. Just as I expect you to continue your friendship with me. Just — stay out of my  
head, okay? I don’t even let my wife and kids in there."  
He shook his head. "It’s hard enough being in my own head. I wouldn’t ever — although  
…" he trailed off feeling troubled by his recent invasions of Lois’s mind.  
"Although?"  
"I’ve… been in Lois’s mind — and she doesn’t know it — "  
"No – she said she heard you in — "  
"No — she doesn’t know about this time. She was having a horrible nightmare — and —  
she was broadcasting all her terror into my head. I couldn’t — it was horrible — I could  
hardly breathe. I ended up going into her head and talking her into a calmer state. I — I  
know it was wrong — but I just kind of acted on impulse. I won’t do it again. I — and  
someday — I promise… I’ll tell her. I just don’t know how to do it right now."  
"No — no — I wouldn’t advise it right now. " Perry sighed heavily. "This is a tough one. I —  
I know you told me this in confidence, so I won’t tell her, but you have to promise me not  
to do it again."  
"I promise. Scouts honor."  
"You were never a scout, I’ll bet… but I know you are a man of your word. Go on — do  
your hero thing, and I’ll see you soon. Hopefully under more social circumstances."  
"Hint taken. I promise to be more socially available. I’m just — not feeling up to it these  
days. I hope you understand."  
"I do. I do son. You wear your heart on your sleeve — and Alice with her third degree  
would be able to read your mind without the aid of super-powers. I’m sure you aren’t up  
to that these days. The invitation stands open when you are ready to receive it."  
With a brief smile and nod, Superman turned and flew out the window.  
Locked in a furious inner conflict, Lois battled herself over what her next immediate step  
should be. On the one hand, contacting this Trask guy was an intriguing next step. Likely,  
he knew a lot about Superman and he might be able to open some doors for her. On the  
other hand, he could turn out to be an overly zealous kook who found the idea of any  
extra-terrestrial life intrinsically threatening.  
<< Maybe I’ll investigate him before I open that can of worms. >>  
The last thing she wanted was to make contact with someone that might prove to be  
difficult to jettison from her life. Additionally, meeting a strange man in what would likely  
be a secluded spot did not appeal to her at all.  
Viewed in that light, Lana seemed like a safer choice. She was a seemingly heterosexual  
female, and thus unlikely to make any sexual advances towards Lois. She wasn’t with the  
government and she was once engaged to marry Clark Kent.  
<< Exactly how do I explain my role in all this? Surely she blames me for what happened  
between her and Clark. I’m guessing she won’t even want to give me the time of day. >>  
Lois had no real desire to explain to Lana about the existences of multiple universes. In  
addition to being relatively sure that Lana would think she was a raving lunatic, she also  
knew first hand how this knowledge could be exceedingly dangerous in the wrong hands.  
And yet, despite these obvious difficulties, Lois felt a driving need to talk to Lana. Lana  
had been intimate with Clark her entire life — both as a friend, and then later on as a  
lover. If anyone would know the true nature of the man, it would be her.  
She picked up the phone to dial Lana’s number, which she had managed to unearth as a  
result of working for Luthor — a man for who most doors opened. Lana was not an easy  
woman to locate — her association with Clark had turned her into an unwilling public  
figure. Indeed, from what she had learned about the break-up of their relationship —  
Lana had ceased to want anything to do with Clark after he had gone public with his true  
nature.  
<<How shallow. No. Not shallow. You can’t blame her. This kind of life wouldn’t be for  
every one. But imagine — holding back a hero just so you can have a peaceful easy life.  
Selfish. If he truly is a good man, then it would have been an immeasurable disservice to  
everyone if he had stayed in the shadows and avoided ever using his powers. I would  
never have asked that of — what am I thinking? I’d never have gotten involved with him  
like that in the first place. Even without my experiences with Kal-El — a super-powered  
being is not someone you play house with.>>  
She shook her head sharply — the thought of anyone willingly entering into a physical  
relationship with the man disturbed her greatly. Even if his nature was as it seems — he  
had super- powered strength. Who would put themselves literally in the hands of  
someone who could crush you like an insect without even thinking about it?  
<<She doesn’t look any worse for the wear. >>  
Lois brought her knuckles up to the sides of her heads and pressed hard as if to force  
these thoughts out of her mind.  
<<I — I don’t want to think about this! Another voice meekly answered. You do. You want  
to know. You want to know that they were lovers, and that he made her happy. That he  
didn’t hurt her — that he could be like that and not break her to pieces. You want to know  
that it didn’t have to be like it was — for you — ugly and horrible. How else can you ever  
really stop seeing him as a monster? But what if I don’t want to stop seeing him as a  
monster? You do. You know you do. Deep down. You want to know that your life could  
have been so much more than this, if you hadn’t been taken into that hell world. >>  
"Yes — I’m finally starting to lose it!" She spoke aloud in frustration. "Even my inner voices  
are starting to disagree."  
Later that day, she sat nervously waiting for Lana to show up for their lunch meeting. She  
wasn’t afraid of Lana at all — rather, she feared what the end-result would be for her after  
having this conversation. Would it bring up ugly memories that she couldn’t hold back?  
Would she feel more sympathetically conflicted towards Clark — so sympathetic that she  
dropped her investigation prematurely? Would she feel even more animosity and  
suspicion? And how would she explain that she wasn’t the same woman who Lana  
imagined to be in love with the man? Before she could start seriously obsessing, Lana  
pulled back the chair opposite to her, and sat down briskly.  
"So! Lois Lane. We meet again." Her voice had a distinctly sarcastic edge to it.  
"Thank you for taking the time to meet me. I know talking to reporters isn’t high on your  
list of things to do these days."  
"No. No. Thanks to my ex-fiancé, and to you, the term ‘private life’ no longer applies to  
me." Her voice was caustic and sarcastic. It was clear she was bearing a huge grudge  
against Lois, but Lois didn’t sense any personal threat from the woman. She just seemed  
to need to vent some of the anger she was harboring.  
"I’m sorry to hear that." Lois decided that defending herself at this point would be a bad  
idea. "So … why did you decide to meet with me, then?"  
"I’m curious actually," she said in a deceptively friendly and conversational tone. "The last  
time I saw you, you were clearly heading towards some kind of romantic coupling with a  
man to whom I was engaged. So — what really eats away at me now is — why would a  
woman who was so gung-ho on exposing him as an alien so that he could publicly help  
those in need — why would you end up mounting an anti-superman campaign. You  
created him — and now you want to destroy him? It — confounds me, to be perfectly  
frank."  
<<It angers you too.>>  
"Do — do you still care for him?"  
Lana barked a short humorless laugh. "My feelings aren’t as fickle as yours appear to be,  
Lois. I knew him for many years, and that kind of connection doesn’t go away. Yes — a  
woman scorned — yadda yadda yadda… but we were friends as children. Great friends.  
And despite what he did to me at the end, I don’t think he ever intentionally meant to hurt  
me. I honestly believe that in the end, his desire to help people with his powers would  
have torn us apart. So I guess that lets you off that hook. It really –" she stopped  
suddenly, at a loss for words as her emotional response started to get the better of her.  
"Yes! It really makes me angry to see you betray him like that. What happened? Did he  
cheat on you? Are you, in fact, the woman scorned? Despite everything that happened  
between him, and me, and you– it seems awfully out of character for Clark to do that."  
Lois sat back surprised. For some reason, she hadn’t quite expected this response — and  
yet, in retrospect, it seemed like the most natural response for the woman to have. She  
had loved a man — and lost him — to Lois, or so she thought. And maybe she could have  
dealt with that — knowing in her heart that she wasn’t right for the man, and he wasn’t  
right for her… but to then see the ‘other woman’ turn around and treat him in a way that  
seemed shabby and nasty — well — she could see why Lana was so angry at her.  
"I," she stopped, at a complete loss of what to say next. How could she possibly explain  
any of her actions? Her current actions seemed to be completely opposite to how the  
other Lois reacted to Clark. As Lana had said, Lois had created Superman. And now —  
now she was trying to destroy him. She decided to forgo the explanation. "He seems to  
evoke a lot of loyalty and… protectiveness from you."  
"Yes, well — those of us who actually have souls tend to feel that way about people who  
matter to us."  
"Look. I don’t blame you for your anger — "  
"Here’s what I think. I think that you showed up on the scene and set the whole thing up  
so you could engineer your little expose. You forced him into the limelight by pretending  
to be his friend, and now you turn around and use him to kick your career into overdrive.  
Nice work, if you can get it. If you happen to not have a conscience."  
"Obviously I don’t have much of one," she agreed mildly. "Would a woman of conscience  
have broken up a happily engaged couple?"  
"You’re a real piece of work," Lana was starting to get agitated. She looked at her with  
utter disbelief in her eyes. "The amazing thing is — up until recently, you actually seemed  
like a decent person. My radar on people is generally pretty accurate — you seemed …  
honest in your love for him — now that’s interesting. Why did you just flinch?"  
"I didn’t ask you here to talk about me." Lois deliberately kept her tone clipped and calm,  
deciding that the conversation was going in a very useful direction. She hated to do it —  
deceive the woman and cause her so much pain — but the alternative was to reveal the  
truth, and there was very little chance that the truth would be believed in this particular  
situation.  
"And I didn’t come here to tell you anything for your dirty little campaign," she spat out  
angrily. "I just wanted to see — face to face — this woman who could be so amazingly  
two-faced. I don’t like it when people hurt my friends, Lois, and despite what happened to  
my plans of marital bliss, I still consider him to be a very dear friend. He may be super-  
strong, but he’s got a heart, and that heart can be broken. It seems to me that he fell in  
love with you instantly– and I honestly don’t think our love was ever like that — the ‘in-  
love’ kind of love. So it just really rankles to see that he gave you his heart — and his trust  
— and you betrayed it on such a grandiose scale. What is wrong with you? Don’t you have  
any conscience?"  
"I have my reasons for doing what I’m doing. I really meant no ill will towards him — I just  
don’t think the world should be so ready to accept someone with the power to crush us all  
— not without at least critically examining the situation. Blind trust in powerful people can  
lead to disaster."  
Lana narrowed her eyes in disbelief. She shook her head slowly. "You aren’t making any  
sense. Why urge him to don that ridiculous outfit and start becoming a hero, if you were  
only going to do this in the end?"  
"Maybe I thought it would be better if the world knew what was in their midst."  
"You mean ‘who’."  
"Okay then. Who."  
"You should have asked me, then. I could have told you who. A good, kind and decent  
man who really wants to help people out. One of the few true nice-guys out there." She  
shook her head disbelievingly with a look of confused disgust on her face. "I — just — I  
can’t get you." She shook her head sharply again, closing her eyes. "No. No — this doesn’t  
make sense to me. I want the truth here. I am never wrong about people — so how could  
you have deceived me so thoroughly. What’s really going on here?"  
"Lana –"  
"Lois. When we met — I hated you. I hated you for a long time. But I also was struck with  
how I kind of liked you too. There was something about you — something kindred. And  
now… it’s like you’re an entirely different person. I don’t get that. And even now —  
looking at you- what you’re telling me doesn’t ring true. You still don’t seem like the  
poisonous snake that your actions make you out to be."  
<<She’s too clever. Too observant. I hadn’t counted on this. I guess I expected someone  
more down-on-the farm.>>  
"Maybe because I’m not what you think. Lana — my only reason for acting as I’ve done is  
to make sure that we aren’t unconsciously laying ourselves vulnerable to an attack."  
"What — what happened between you two? How — what could have happened to make  
you hate him so much?"  
"I — I don’t… hate him."  
<<I hate his doppelganger. Yes. And my articles reflect that. Reflected hate. No wonder  
she’s confused. >>  
"Did he cheat on you?"  
"No — no — that isn’t it."  
"Was he a disappointment between the sheets? Were you hoping for — something out of  
this world?"  
Lois turned away, shaking a little at the image this painted in her head. "It — no —  
nothing — nothing like that."  
"Then what? What could he have possibly done to make you this angry?" Her tone had  
changed. Her anger and sarcasm vanished in the face of a much deeper emotional  
response. Lana had thrown aside the idea that Lois was evil incarnate and was really  
interested in finding out what happened. Maybe somehow she could help turn things  
around.  
"I — I can’t talk — about — I don’t — nothing. He didn’t do anything. It isn’t anything he  
did."  
"Then who?"  
"What?"  
"You emphasized the word he, as if it wasn’t something he did, but rather something  
someone else did. Was it Luthor? Did he somehow sucker you in? Did you fall in love with  
him or something?"  
She barely repressed a physical shudder at this question. "No — I — look. I didn’t ask you  
here talk about me."  
"And I didn’t come here to talk about me. You’re hiding something. Some strange secret  
— something big. Something that made you turn on someone like Clark. I don’t believe  
you intended this all along, somehow you’ve been brainwashed. Something is wrong here  
— something doesn’t fit, and I — I want some answers."  
<<She sounds so much like me. We could have been friends. >>  
Willing herself to be as calm and poised as possible, she answered Lana coolly. "I have  
nothing to hide and I have nothing to say. I’m sorry you don’t like my article series, but I  
believe in searching for the truth. I think this interview is over." She stood up and pushed  
her chair back, but in her frantic urgency to get away, she stumbled a bit while doing it.  
"A crack in your cool armor," murmured Lana.  
"What?"  
"You’re hiding something. I will find it out. It’s only a matter of time. I’ll see you around,  
Lois."  
She stood up as well, and smoothly pushed aside her chair. She started to walk off, and  
then stopped to turn around one last time. "Lois, I expect you’re picking up the tab, right?  
After all, I was here at your invitation." She smiled an empty smile and turned once more  
to walk away.  
<<That was a huge disaster.>>  
Lois sat back down heavily, waiting for the waiter to come back so she could settle the  
check.  
<<Who would have expected her to still like him? And who would have thought she would  
be so damned smart?>>  
Lana picked up her pace as soon as she was out of sight. She snapped open her cell  
phone and dialed Clark’s private number.  
"Clark? It’s Lana. I really need to talk to you. No — no — I’m not in trouble — this isn’t a  
‘help superman’ call. I need to talk to you. Yes — now… it’s about Lois Lane."  
The air around her seemed to pick up a strong breeze, and suddenly her former fiancé  
was there dressed casually as Clark.  
She shook her head sharply. "I’d have never gotten used to that." She smiled at him  
apologetically.  
"No — I guess … I guess it just wasn’t meant to be."  
"Come on — before everyone suddenly realizes that their beloved superhero and his  
former fiancé are standing right here in broad daylight. Let’s get some privacy. Come in  
my car, okay?"  
"I have a better idea! Come on!" He lightly put his arm around her waist like so many  
times in the past, and guiding them both into an alley, lifted off into the sky. Despite  
Lana’s dislike of a public display of super-powers, she always enjoyed a good flight.  
"Ah — I’ve missed this," she said wistfully as he landed them on a beautiful warm beach.  
"Just being able to really get away from it all — in a blink of an eye."  
"Well — if I traveled that fast — it wouldn’t make you terribly happy with me — but close  
enough. I just don’t feel like covering the pages of the gossip rags, and I know you don’t  
want that either." He paused, and looked at her with an unreadable expression. "How are  
you, Lana?"  
She nodded. "Well- I’m — I’ve been well. "  
"Good — I — I’ve felt… are you — happy? Are you -"  
<<Did you move on? Did you end up happy?>>  
"Are you seeing anyone?"  
She smiled and looked off into the distance. "Yes — yes." Her smile broadened for a  
moment. "Yes — I’m seeing someone — and — I’m happy …"  
"That — that’s good to hear." "Look — I know — I know things ended badly — and I’ve felt  
badly about it. Things I said. Things I did. I was angry and hurt. But now when I look back  
at it, I realize that we — we never really loved each other, did we? I mean — we did love  
each other — as old friends do… but –"  
"But … we were about to make a huge mistake?"  
"Yea. You — I’m sure you feel that way too?"  
He looked at her with a regretful smile. "I do. And it’s not — it wasn’t you…"  
"Come on — I was always badgering you about your powers and hiding them."  
"Who could blame you? I mean — you had some good reasons. Our life would have always  
been a public display. Your life would have been constantly in danger with all the really  
freaky criminals out there trying to gain a point. Killing ‘superman’s’ wife. A feather in  
some psycho’s cap." He shuddered at the thought.  
"It would have been worth all that, if we had really been in love," she said quietly. "I just  
want you to know — I’m sorry. For all the nasty things I said."  
"And I’m sorry too. For hurting you with — with Lois."  
"I wanted to hate her — I wanted to blame her. But in the end- it wasn’t her fault that you  
— you — fell in love with her." Her voice broke a little as she said this. "It was then I  
realized that what we had wasn’t really love. I desperately wanted it to be love — on both  
our sides. But it wasn’t. If it was — I’d have hurt for much longer than I did. And if it was  
on your side — Lois wouldn’t have made a difference… even if you were somehow  
magically meant to be with her."  
He looked at her admiringly. "You are so," he shook his head. "I don’t know. Just — thank  
you. That means a lot to me — not having you hate me — and knowing that you’re  
happy."  
She took a deep troubled breath. "This is why — I want to talk to you."  
"So you said…" His tone was encouraging, but wary.  
"I met your — I met Lois Lane today."  
"How did that happen?"  
"She called me — somehow our intrepid lady-reporter managed to find my phone  
number…. And she asked me to meet her at Ralph’s for lunch."  
"Why did you meet up with her? I thought you were avoiding the press."  
"I am. But… I wanted to know why she was mounting her anti- superman campaign." She  
turned to catch his expression as she said those last words. Bingo. Hurt flashed through  
his eyes.  
"Did — what did she –"  
"Say? Oh. Nothing. Nothing and everything. At first, she tried to act as if she had planned  
this all along — she was trying to make out like she never really cared for you. But that  
didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I know people — I just do. I am never wrong about my  
first impressions — and even though I hated her for a long time after what happened… at  
the same time, I admired and respected her. She seemed a good person — albeit a little  
too sanguine for my tastes. So this sudden switch into being a Benedict-Arnold didn’t  
make a lot of sense to me. You know? So I called her on it — the only thing I could think  
of is that you somehow made her so angry that she’s doing this from the perspective of a  
woman scorned. Did you? You know — did you jilt her? She did seem to disappear so  
suddenly out of your life, after all." Briefly she turned her face to face his.  
Uncharacteristically, he refused to return her eye contact.  
"Clark. This is me. What happened? You didn’t jilt her, did you? You didn’t cheat on her?"  
Her questions were more like assertions. She was challenging him to refute what she  
knew to be true.  
"No. I didn’t."  
"Then — then what? She — it didn’t make sense at all. I kept getting the sense she was  
putting on an act. Hiding something. The only time I really got an honest reaction out of  
her was when I –"  
"What?"  
She reflected silently for a few moments, not sure how to ask the newer questions that  
popped into her mind.  
"Clark… promise not to get angry — or … hurt?"  
"Lana — just — just say it. What are you thinking?"  
"You know — we never — we were never lovers. Not my idea — as you’ll recall… but I — I  
understood — you — you felt it was right to wait, and I also know you were kind of  
nervous about the whole thing. You were afraid of your strength. I guess — well — I know  
I razzed you about it a lot. I think it was easy to take the opposing view — gave me  
something to argue about…. But I guess I had that question too — at the back of my  
mind? Would your control over your powers work under those particular conditions?"  
"Oh god, Lana. I never — never knew you felt –" Clark broke off, mortified. "I never wanted  
you to be afraid of me. I –"  
"No — don’t worry – it wasn’t a huge fear or worry. And maybe if you hadn’t worried  
about it, I wouldn’t have either. But knowing that you weren’t sure about it made me feel  
like I should worry about it. After all — you knew your own control better than anyone."  
"I never said anything to you about it — how did you –"  
"In your behavior — in your actions. It was obvious. At least it was to me."  
"You aren’t easily fooled, are you?"  
"Clark. Did you end up — getting intimate with Lois? And — did you — was it -"  
"Oh my god, Lana. What are you thinking?"  
"The only thing that would explain her behavior — and her reactions — to — uh — some  
taunting jibes that I made…"  
"No! No — first — we never — and — uh — so … No."  
"No — you never." She breathed out a sigh of relief. "I was so worried that you … and that  
would have been so sad — for you — for her. I’m so glad to hear that –"  
"Lana…"  
"I know — I hurt you just now with that — but Clark — have pity on me, here. I’m trying to  
figure this all out. None of it makes sense. That was the only theory that had any chance  
of bringing all the pieces together. Was it — was it your desire to wait? Did that make her  
angry? Did it make her feel rejected?"  
He took a deep breath. "No. Not that either."  
"Then — then what?"  
"Lois isn’t — I can’t tell you, Lana. She wouldn’t – it isn’t my story to tell."  
"But –"  
"Can you trust me here? I didn’t hurt her. I didn’t do anything to her. But — she has good  
reasons for doing what she’s doing."  
"I do trust you — but I need answers. Clark. I concede our getting engaged was wrong —  
wrong for us both. But I still went through a boatload of hurt when it ended, and part of  
me can’t help but blame Lois for what happened — for what I went through. I’m sorry –"  
"No — I’m sorry. I know what we did was terrible — and –"  
"No! That’s the thing. It wasn’t terrible. It was a beautiful thing! Two people who obviously  
belonged together managed to meet, and managed to end up together — despite  
obstacles — like… like myself. I am past that — past that anger, and that hurt, and it’s  
okay. But it — really bothers me that it didn’t end up like it should have. I need to know  
why. I deserve to know why!" Her voice was impassioned. "You don’t owe me much, but  
you do owe me this!"  
He looked at her gravely for a long moment. And then slowly he nodded. "Yes. I suppose I  
do."  
"She just disappeared — and I wonder… you’ll have to excuse my impertinence once  
more. Clark — I don’t think you would ever act like this — because you never seemed the  
jealous type… but did — did she not really return your affections — did you … well — you  
didn’t turn into stalker-boy, did you? Forcing her to lay low just to get you out of her life?"  
Despite himself, he let out a chuckle. "Stalker boy? Where do you get your idioms from?  
Have you been hanging out with teenagers or something?"  
"Come on — Clark. Please — I know — and I know it’s a ridiculous question — but it  
would answer the puzzle. It would explain why she disappeared, and why she is now  
mounting this campaign against you. It just wouldn’t fit with your personality — but then  
— I have no idea how you would react with someone you were madly in love with. Please  
— don’t be offended — I just — maybe I could help — if this were the case… you know —  
talk to her –"  
He took a deep breath. "No. I never ever hurt her or gave her cause to be afraid of me.  
Never. And I can see you aren’t going to let this rest until you know, and I understand why  
you need to know. Because of her entry into our lives, the course of our lives altered in a  
very huge way. And now you are faced with this bizarre mystery: why would a woman who  
seemed to be in love with me turn around and act as if she thought I was the worst thing  
to come along since Hitler."  
"Well- something like that."  
"So — I guess you leave me no choice. I’ll tell you the truth — but you have to promise to  
keep it to yourself. You also have to promise you will try to believe what I’m telling you —  
because it will sound extremely unbelievable." He paused, and then took a deep fortifying  
breath. "All right. So here it is. The woman you had lunch with… she’s not the same  
woman you met last year."  
"Clearly! I mean — something’s happened to alter — is that it? Did she have some kind of  
brain injury? Or — "  
"No. No brain injury. She’s a different woman. Physically a different woman. Kind of like  
twins."  
"Twins? Both named Lois?"  
He smiled at that, and chuckled. "No. Both women were Lois Lane. But both women were  
separate women."  
"Clones?"  
"Even more bizarre. The Lois you met was from an alternate universe."  
She stared at him a long time with an impassive expression.  
"Can you please say something," he begged after the silence became deafening.  
"I — have no idea what to say. I guess — I know you aren’t trying to make a fool of me or  
insult my intelligence. If you say she’s from another universe, there are two choices here  
— either you’re insane, which you don’t appear to be… or — well, I guess three choices.  
Insane. Gullible. Or Lois is really not the same woman that I met — and that woman was  
from another universe."  
"Right…"  
"So — why was she here?"  
"You’re acceptance of this is –"  
"Well — I learned to suspend my disbelief that time you showed me you could fly. Since  
then — nothing seems out of the realm of possibility."  
He sighed heavily. "I guess I can see that. Well — yes — Lois was here against her will. A  
criminal from the future named Tempus brought her here in order to prevent her and the  
Clark in her universe from getting married, having descendants, and helping to create a  
utopian future world that this criminal found unbearably boring."  
"You — haven’t been taking hallucinogenics have you?"  
"No."  
"Okay then. I guess — I guess this makes as much sense as any of my theories. So this  
woman isn’t the same woman — so why did she let me say all those things to her –"  
"Likely because she didn’t want to tell you about what had happened. This information is  
dangerous in the wrong hands."  
"It’s safe with me — I promise not to tell anyone. I don’t want to end up in a rubber  
room."  
"Wise… anyway — the woman you met today? She was also taken from this world and  
forced to live three years of her life in an alternate world. For the same reason — to  
prevent her and I from ever having descendants."  
"Where was she?"  
"An alternate earth. Like this one. Only — only –"  
"Only?"  
He looked at her with a regretful expression on his face. "I hate to say this — but — it was  
a world dominated by — aliens. My people. Me. My counterpart — he was the leader of the  
invasion — of the domination." "You can’t be serious? That’s — that’s ridiculous. I would  
expect you — I mean — the other Lois wasn’t all that different from this one-"  
"No," he said glumly. "I think she believes that too… that the man she encountered can’t  
be all that different from me."  
"But obviously — obviously you both are poles apart — you would never take over the  
world!! You’ve never sought out that kind of power over people!"  
"I know. And — I’m glad you — you still feel that way — after what I told you."  
"Oh — poor Clark! Did you think I’d start to think like she does?" She squeezed his arm  
compassionately.  
He smiled humorlessly. "Sometimes — it’s even hard for me — to — I wonder. I think —  
what could have happened to him along the way to turn him so far from who I am. Could  
it — could it ever happen to me? I think that it couldn’t — but how well do we even know  
ourselves? What can turn a good person into an evil one? What triggers exist — because it  
does happen. People lose it all the time. They go about their lives and then something  
happens — and suddenly — their whole perspective shifts."  
"Do you really think that’s the difference between the man she knew and you? A difference  
in perspective? Did he enjoy his role as world-dominator?"  
"Actually — yeah — he did. From what I can guess, he enjoyed hurting people — making  
them fearful of him. That — I know for a fact — that is not something I would ever enjoy  
seeing. And so — I have to say that I don’t think our paths could ever — align. But — it  
doesn’t matter so much what I think. Lois thinks that he and I aren’t so very different. And  
nothing I can do will ever change that."  
"You fell in love with her counterpart and now — she’s gone. And the woman that you  
look at as being ‘the one’ can’t stand you. She fears you. She hates you. I’m sorry." Her  
voice was horrified and dropped to a tender whisper. "I’m so sorry."  
He forced a smile on his face. "Ah — well — you know — it might not have worked out  
between us anyway –"  
She shook her head pityingly. "You know it would have. I could break this Tempus guy’s  
neck."  
"A lot of people feel that way. He’s tried stunts like this before in that alternate world. He  
even tried to kill my counterpart in her universe when he was a baby."  
"That’s just sick!"  
"Yes. Lois and her Clark ended up traveling back in time and preventing it. Thanks to  
another time/dimension hopper named Herb."  
"And this Herb guy isn’t evil?"  
"No — although he did invent the machine that gave Tempus his ability to make all this  
mischief. Herb’s a decent guy. Once he figured out what had happened to Lois, he did  
bring her home. But — she’s deeply scarred. She — suffered greatly in that other world.  
Thanks to my counterpart."  
"Oh — so she met him? Did he know she was from another universe?"  
"I don’t know if he knew that — but he had — uh — killed the other Lois from his world."  
He stopped, unable to go on.  
"Oh … god."  
"And — so he must have known something strange was going on. Whether he knew she  
was from another universe — I don’t know. I hope not. I really hope not. The idea of him  
trying to track her down — or just trying to extend his domination to other universes —  
it’s horrifying."  
"Why would he try to track her down?"  
"I think — I think he was obsessed with her."  
"Oh — oh no. So did he — oh — oh god –" she stopped at his bleak expression. "So it’s  
that bad. Wow. Really bad. And- oh! I — said some awful things to her. I — I – god — I  
feel awful."  
"You didn’t know. She didn’t tell you. And — and yes- it is that bad."  
"So — Tempus achieved his goals. No descendants — at least not in this world. But then  
— maybe — maybe there’s hope."  
"Hope? Come on — could you ever love someone who looked exactly like the one person  
you hated most in the universe?"  
"Maybe — maybe if that someone went and kicked that other person’s butt for me."  
"What are you suggesting?"  
"Just this. Clark, you need to go into that world and stop him — defeat him — kill him if  
necessary. That may be the only way to … shift her perspective."  
He stared at her blankly for a moment, and then his face broke out into a broad smile.  
"You’re kidding, right?"  
Annoyed, she shook her head.  
"Arr! I hate when you do that! No. I’m not kidding. What’s wrong with my idea? I thought it  
was a perfectly valid idea!"  
"I — you hate when I do what?"  
"Act so … like my idea is funny –it has to be a joke — your reaction is kind of insulting.  
Condescending."  
"I just — it was way out of character for you — "


	3. Chapter 3

"How do you know what’s — well… okay –I guess –we’ve known each other all our lives —  
so you would know what’s in character. I’m sorry. Old anger. Old habits of bickering…  
and now is hardly the time to pitch a fit. Look — I really thought it was a good idea. If you  
showed her that you were her — prince… I guess — riding in on your white horse –"  
"She’s not looking for that — and that isn’t who I am either. I’m not going to seek revenge  
for her. I’m not going to go beat up the big bully who hurt her just to score points. Do  
you — remember that cat?"  
"Cat? What the hell are you talking about," Lana asked bluntly, confused by his seeming  
non-sequitor.  
"Lana. When we were kids — remember that barn cat? The calico one?"  
A smile came to her face. "Checkers. Yes. What a funny little sweet cat she was!"  
"Yes — a barn kitten who ended up falling madly in love with you. And remember how she  
left all those dead birds, moles and mice at your front door? You hated that!"  
"Yes. It was disgusting — I stepped — bare foot — on half a mole once. That is an  
experience that you never ever want to repeat, I can tell you that much!"  
"Right. But — look at it from her perspective — you never hunted for your food — you  
didn’t even know how to fight or pounce. She had adopted you — and decided to care for  
you since you couldn’t care for yourself. She was leaving all those dead and half-dead  
creatures at your doorstep because she thought that was how she should care for you —  
provide you food so you didn’t starve. But you were disgusted — because to you it was  
gross — seeing all those corpses at your door."  
"Oh — I get it — an analogy. How English-major of you." Her voice was gently sarcastic.  
"Yes — an analogy. Lana — I might actually think that he deserves to be — well — brought  
to justice in some way. But my going out to some other universe and being the bringer of  
that justice isn’t going to make her happy. If anything, it would horrify her even more — I  
would be showing a similar level of violence and brutality as my doppelganger."  
"But — it’s also the right thing to do, isn’t it, Mr. Hero? This world — this other earth — is  
in peril — and you could free it — not for her — but just — just because you know it’s  
happening — and you could do something about it!"  
"I would — if I could — if I could get there — and also have the right backup — because  
remember — there are more of them than there are of me. If I went in there alone, I’d get  
killed pretty quickly. I do think that universe’s Earth needs to be liberated, and I’ve plead  
my cause already… but I can’t let that cause get mixed up in my relationship with Lois. I  
can’t go do something like that just to get a woman to like me. Don’t you see that?"  
"I guess… I guess I see," she said grudgingly.  
"But — but it was a good idea –"  
"Oh — stop patronizing me!" She smiled to soften her words. "I know you don’t think it  
was a good idea! But — what are you going to do? How will you … get her to stop hating  
you?"  
"Nothing…"  
"Nothing? At all? Nothing?"  
"Lana — I won’t lie to you — I want things to be different. But this is how they are — I  
can’t change things just by wishing. I — just want to take it — one day at a time."  
"But — that’s — that’s wrong! You had a connection with her counterpart — which means  
— in some bizarre way that you were meant for her — meant to be with her. Isn’t —  
doesn’t it seem that way to you? Your destiny! I could feel the connection between you-  
you’re telling me — you’re just going to roll over and play dead? Live out a lifetime of  
regret and loneliness?"  
"Sounds pretty lousy, doesn’t it?" His voice and expression were bleak.  
"Then — then you have to do something?"  
"The only thing that can do anything is time. Time can work its healing magic and let her  
lead a less emotionally-troubled life than the one she currently lives. I guess I can stay  
out of her way — let her heal without the pain of seeing me. Oh sure — I can help her out  
when she needs it… but otherwise — I can stay out of her way… maybe we are destined to  
be together, and maybe someday — after her memories of that other world have dimmed  
a bit — she might be able to call me friend. I can’t count on that though — I can’t live my  
life around that hope."  
"But — is friendship enough?"  
"It could never be more. Think about it Lana — in your shoes — could you love someone  
who was identical — physically identical — to your worst nightmare?"  
"Sure! If he were a good and kind man –"  
"You hate Lex Luthor, right?"  
"Intensely. But I could — if his double showed up with — with a personality like yours… I  
— I guess it isn’t so easy — is it?"  
"No. Just think how it is for her. It has to be awful for her — seeing me everywhere —  
same face — same body — same voice, different… soul? I don’t know — it has to be really  
tough. That’s why I’ve kept a really low public profile on my feelings about her article  
series. She has good reason for writing what she has written."  
"And her message is so potent. She — well — I’ll admit, she’s even made me think at  
times… and then I catch myself — and say — what the heck am I thinking? I know you —  
and know none of her dire warnings could ever come to pass."  
"She’s speaking from experience. There’s a lot of passion and anger behind her words.  
It’s hard not to get pulled in. I hope you do know however… I really am not a threat — not  
to you — not to her — and really not to anyone… well… maybe people who are trying to  
commit crimes… I guess I threaten their plans and their freedom by turning them over to  
the police."  
She nodded. "Anyone who knows you also knows you aren’t a danger. I just wish you  
could somehow get her to see that."  
"And so it circles around. I know — I know — I feel like this all the time. Lost — and  
desolate — when I imagine a lifetime without her — knowing deep down she’s the one.  
It’s awful."  
They both paused in sad silence.  
"Listen Lana — I — thank you for this talk… I’m really glad we’re friends again. I’ve felt  
awful about how we just broke apart like that. I felt really badly about how I acted…"  
"You really didn’t do anything wrong. We were just wrong, and that whole incident  
brought that out to light. I’m glad you’re still my friend, and what’s more, I’m glad you  
went public with your abilities. The world needs a superhero — it needs you. You give us  
hope — you know … hope that things can be better. Hope — because we know someone  
cares — cares enough to be selfless — to help without asking anything in return. To keep  
helping no matter how frustrating and repetitive it can get."  
"Wow. I’m speechless that you think that way– well — not really — but — you know what I  
mean. Thanks. It’s good to hear that. I’m — it’s not a big sacrifice — really — I have these  
powers, it’s just as easy to use them as it is to drop a check in the mail to some deserving  
charity. It’s not like human heroes who actually risk their lives to help other s out."  
"Well — I appreciate it."  
"You are very welcome. Do you want me to take you home now? I’m sure you’ve got more  
interesting things to do with your time than hang out here with me."  
"Well- yes — I need to get home soon… but this has been great. I’m glad we did this, and  
I hope I see more of you now — now that we’ve hurdled the threshold of our failed  
relationship. We were once very good friends…"  
"Absolutely! I would love that."  
He put his arm around her waist, and warned her not to look down.  
"I know you get sick … so — uh — just — keep your eyes fixed on something."  
"Afraid I’ll mess up your costume?"  
"Suit! Not costume! Although I may look like one, I’m not a circus performer!"  
"Okay — okay. And I won’t get sick."  
They flew quickly back to civilization.  
"Where do you live? I’ll take you home."  
"Oh — cool! I live at 125 Newbury St. You know where it is? Apartment 609."  
"Yes — I know the way. Hang on!"  
He flew them down to the balcony, and she unlocked her porch door.  
"Hey — come in for a moment."  
"Okay — just one second," he said as he spun into his Clark persona. "Okay — now…"  
He walked in behind her, and surveyed the place.  
"Nice — you’ve really made this place look like a home."  
"Coming from you, that’s quite the compliment."  
"No — really. You have — it looks … inviting. Warm."  
"I figure — a place where you spend so much of your time ought to be comfortable and  
inviting. You should come through those doors, relax and think — I’m home. I’m  
complete. I’m happy."  
"Yea. Complete…" his voice trailed off, distracted and melancholy.  
Swiftly she looked up at him, and saw the sadness in his eyes.  
"Well, score one for Lana. Look — I’m sorry — I didn’t mean anything by it –"  
"No — no! Don’t — don’t apologize to me — you can’t walk on eggshells — you can’t  
worry about sounding happy just because you know I’m… well — not in the happiest  
place at this time in my life. If your apartment is reflecting your inner state, then I’m really  
glad for you. You deserve to be happy and to be complete."  
The doorbell rang and she moved to the door to see who it was.  
"Hold that thought — I’ll just see who that is."  
Cautiously she opened her door a few inches, not undoing the chain-latch. Lana was  
utterly baffled and surprised to see Lois standing there holding Lana’s Hermes scarf.  
"Oh! Oh — my scarf!" Lana squealed in excitement, and before she had a chance to think  
about the wisdom of her actions, she unchained the door and flung it open.  
"Come in! Oh — I had no idea I’d dropped that — thank you for returning it to me — I –it  
cost a fortune as -" her voice trailed off as she realized that the air in the room had  
suddenly solidified. She followed Lois’s frozen stare to where Clark stood, and then  
followed it back to Lois.  
"Oh boy," she said with a sigh.  
The silence was deafening.  
<<Somebody speak. Move. Breathe! Anything!>>  
Lana shifted uncomfortably not knowing how to proceed. Her innate ‘fix-it’ attitude was  
thrown for a loop as she realized, with a shock, how unfixable things were. The fear was  
radiating from Lois like a beacon. Her face was frozen in this mask of confusion, dismay,  
and terror as she beheld the man standing a few paces behind Lana. The look on Clark’s  
face could only be called stricken.  
Lois’s fear was a palpable thing with a life of its own. It seemed to fly off of her and settle  
all over the room — infecting and infesting everyone within with a feeling of panic and  
misery. It was at that moment that Lana realized just how bad the situation truly was. This  
was no mere thing that Clark could overcome by playing the handsome-hero, nor was it  
something Lois could easily recover from. Whatever she had been through in that other  
world, it defied the healing power of friendship and love.  
<<How foolish it all seems — the things I said he should do. No wonder he feels it’s  
hopeless.>>  
Although it seemed an eternity that the three stood frozen in time, it really was only a  
brief moment on the clock. The painful emotions vanished from Lois’s face to be replaced  
by a cool and remote mask. As quickly as she had turned towards Clark, she turned back  
to Lana and proffered the scarf.  
"You left this. I thought you would want it back." Her voice was not as remote as her face  
— it held a slight tremor that betrayed her inner turmoil.  
<<Why is he here? Oh god! I never thought he would be here — I thought — they had a  
bad breakup! Why are they still friends? She told him everything. He told her everything! I  
have to get out of here! >>  
"Oh thank you," gushed Lana, trying to overcompensate for the awkwardness. "I would  
have been so upset once I realized what I’d done — this thing cost me a regular fortune!"  
<<Idiot. She thinks I’m a shallow idiot. Concerned about a stupid scarf – she’s been  
through this really horrible thing and complaining about a lost accessory. A lost scarf is  
meaningless compared to what she’s been through!>>  
"No problem. I — uh — sorry to — um — you know — drop in on you unannounced. I —  
just — well — figured you would want this, and didn’t want you to worry about it.  
Obviously it’s expensive. Well — I –"  
"Do — do you want to come in — I –" Lana desperately searched for words to finish her  
sentence. On the one hand, she wanted this awkward moment to end — and fast! But on  
the other hand — it seemed rude not to invite her in, and also — she wanted a chance to  
apologize for being so rude."  
<<What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? >>  
"Oh — No… I — I can’t. I have to — um — to go –" Lois looked at her blankly as she tried  
to come up with a good rejection of the offer. "I — I have a million things to do — I — so  
— I’ll just be going."  
Very consciously avoiding locking gaze with Clark, she turned and walked as quickly as  
she could down the hall to the stairwell. Lana watched her surreptitiously through a partly  
open door, and only shut the door after the stairwell door closed.  
Breathing out in a relieved exhalation, she only then realized she had been holding her  
breath. She turned to Clark and her heart jumped a bit at the expression there.  
"That was phenomenally awful," she offered in sympathy. "You were right when you said  
that …"  
"That it was hopeless," he finished bleakly.  
Ruefully she nodded her head. "I — really had convinced myself you were overreacting —  
but — my god — the look on her face. And it was like I could almost feel what she was  
feeling?"  
"Yes — she has this amazing way of broadcasting it, doesn’t she? I thought I was the only  
one who could pick up on it — because- I guess my people actually have telepathic  
abilities."  
"You do? You can read minds? Hell — I didn’t know that?! Hey – have you –"  
"No — no — calm down — I haven’t read yours. I didn’t even know I could do it until she  
came back. She seems to be able to project her thoughts into my head. I think the  
telepathy is something humans can do too — but maybe aren’t — aware of it."  
"So — like all those 1-900 people might be real?"  
"Telepathic. Not psychic."  
"Oh — oh yeah. Sorry. Sorry. I’m kind of distracted. I — wow. Just … just wow."  
"So I guess you see now."  
"Yes." She stood silently for a few moments. And then said in a small and sad voice, "I’m  
sorry. I’m really sorry. I — I wish –"  
He smiled at her. "Don’t worry — I’ll be fine… it’s just that — I — I stay out of her way —  
not just for her sake. Her reaction hurts like hell. The less I’m around her, the better it is  
for me, in some twisted way. But in time, her reaction may be less severe. And in time,  
maybe I’ll love her less."  
She looked at him with a dubious expression on her face. "O- kay…."  
"Enough of this — I have to go anyway — and I’m sure you’ve got stuff to do."  
She rushed over to him and gave him a quick and fierce hug.  
"You take care of yourself! And keep in touch — anytime you need someone to talk to —  
about this or anything else-"  
"I know — I will. Thanks." He kissed her cheek, stood back and spun into his suit.  
"Wow! That’s — so spectacular!"  
"It’s just a parlor trick," he smiled in self-deprecation. "Anyway — see you soon, okay?"  
After he took off, she stood for a few minutes wracked with indecision. What she really  
wanted to do was go talk to Lois — but she didn’t want to upset Clark.  
<<I really need to talk to her. I know — he’ll hate it if I do- but I said some things to her  
that she didn’t deserve. But maybe it will hurt her more if I go see her? I can’t just not see  
her. This is too big. She knows I know — she knows I’ve talked to Clark. I just want things  
to be out in the open. I’m going to talk to her!>>  
Making the resolution, she grabbed a light jacket and sailed out the door.  
Meanwhile, the object of her attentions was cursing herself roundly for having delivered  
the scarf in person.  
<<I knew it was a bad idea! I knew I should have just mailed the damned thing.>>  
In truth, her reluctance to see Lana had not been out of a fear that she would run into  
Clark, but rather a fear of resuming the conversation they had had. It had been awful and  
awkward at the time, and she had no desire to pick up where they had left off.  
<<This is even worse! She knows! She knows — and he knows I talked to her. God, they  
were talking about me behind my back. Who knows what he told her — what they were  
saying. This is awful. Worse than I had imagined.>>  
But as she continued her bitter reflections, she started to wonder if it really was such a  
bad thing. First, it let her off the hook with Lana — which, having met the woman and  
seen how tenacious she was — was a good thing. Second, it gave her a deeper insight into  
the kind of man Clark probably was. The fact that he and Lana were still friends spoke  
well for him.  
<<I should hate that. That just pushes my theories father and father into the realm of the  
improbable. But why should I hate that? That’s a good thing — isn’t it?>>  
A knock on the door jerked her out of her reverie. Cautiously she looked through the  
peep-hole in the door.  
<<Give me a break today. Please don’t let this be Luthor. Oh. Great. Lana. Thanks for the  
break. You think maybe once in a while things might go my way. Maybe I shouldn’t open  
the door. She doesn’t know I’m here. No. I’m just going to be delaying the inevitable. If  
she wants to talk to me, she’ll hound me until I finally agree to it. I can tell. She’s like me.  
She doesn’t give up.>>  
Lois opened the door and looked at her uninvited guest with wary eyes. "Lana."  
"Hi," she said smiling nervously. "Look — I know I’m — I know you didn’t invite me over,  
and yes, it’s really rude that I dropped by unannounced — not that you were rude earlier  
— I mean — you were just returning something to me — but I’m not here to return  
something — I’m really here to take up some of your valuable time –and so I’m sorry, in  
advance — for –"  
"It’s okay. Why don’t you come in?" Her voice was resigned.  
<<Ye gods. She babbles more than I do.>>  
Lana walked in nervously. Her courage had failed her as she stood at Lois’s door. It had  
been one thing to think about all the great things she would say to the woman on the ride  
over, but now that she found herself faced with the situation, she felt funny about coming  
here. Why would Lois want to talk about any of this  
with her, of all people?  
She sighed heavily and opened with an apology. "Lois. I guess I came here to apologize to  
you. I said some things to you that in hindsight were extremely unwarranted and  
unfounded."  
"So. You know."  
"Yes."  
"He told you? What did he tell you?"  
"Well — he told me what he knew. I mean — he wasn’t there — he doesn’t –"  
"No — I know he doesn’t have the disgusting details," she interrupted sharply. "Is that why  
you came? You want to know it all?"  
"I came — because — I wanted to apologize –"  
"Oh come on, Lana. At least be honest — honest about why you are here. I mean — you  
had to have figured that I’d understand your feelings of anger and confusion earlier. It  
didn’t bother me that you thought I was some vicious two-timing bitch. I knew you had  
me mixed up with the other Lois, and therefore, I knew why you felt that way. Of course it  
would look odd if I had been her — and then suddenly switched camps like this."  
"Nevertheless, I’d like to apologize."  
"Okay. Apology accepted — and frankly — not even needed. So why are you here?"  
"Can — can I sit down?"  
"Go ahead."  
Lana sat down on a couch and Lois reluctantly sat in a chair facing her.  
"I’m here — because — well — I don’t know. You and I — we are a lot alike in many ways,  
and we both have this person in our life — that we have in common — and –"  
"Are you here to plead his cause?" Her tone was incredulous.  
"No! No — not that- I — I don’t know why I’m here," she said honestly.  
"Lana — we can’t be friends." Lois was quietly blunt.  
"I — why not?"  
"Your ex-fiancé and old childhood friend happens to be someone that I am investigating.  
It wouldn’t be right. And — and I don’t think I could handle the connection." She blew out  
her breath in a frustrated sigh. "Listen, I have enough people telling me what a great guy  
he is. I don’t need to add to the list."  
"If so many people think he’s a great guy — shouldn’t you –"  
"No. That isn’t enough for me."  
"What does your own heart tell you? You’ve been back long enough to have seen him in  
action quite a few times — have you ever seen him act in a way that seemed contrary to  
how everyone sees him?"  
"Well… no," she admitted. "I haven’t. And — for what it’s worth — I’ve stopped writing my  
articles. I don’t really have enough to justify continuing writing them — but I haven’t  
stopped investigating him — I won’t until I’m satisfied."  
"And when will that be? In a year? Two years? Ever?"  
"Why does it matter? Who gets hurt by this — as long as I’m not publishing the articles  
any more, the only person who is really hurt by this is me. It’s my time and energy after  
all."  
"You don’t think our conversation earlier hurt me? It hurt to talk to you about him — to  
talk to the woman I thought you were."  
"I’m sorry — I didn’t want to cause you pain."  
"No. I imagine you didn’t. But don’t you see — your obsession with trying to turn him into  
the bad-guy that you left behind — that’s going to wear you down and eventually be the  
death of you. You won’t lead a productive life if you spend it trying to … turn him into  
that other man."  
"I’m not trying to turn him into Lord Kal-El," she said icily. "You have no idea what you are  
talking about, and it really isn’t any of your business how I choose to live my life. I was a  
slave for three years, Lana. A slave to creatures who could kill me without even lifting a  
finger — a mere blast of that heat vision, and I would have been a pile of dust. I had to  
watch what I said, to whom I said it, and I could never make eye contact for fear of  
reprisal. Never again. I am my own mistress, and I don’t intend on letting anyone — not  
you — not Perry, not my family and most certainly not Superman — tell me what to do."  
Lana took a deep breath. Three years. She hadn’t realized Lois had been there that long.  
"I’m sorry, Lois." She stopped, unable to think of what to say next. "Obviously you’ve been  
through hell — and yes, you’re right — I can’t understand it. But — maybe I can tell you  
about Clark — as I see him — maybe I can help you to see him from my perspective."  
"I’m — I’m not –" Lois shook her head rapidly. "I’m not ready to have this conversation. I  
don’t want to know."  
<<You do! You do!>>  
"I wasn’t going to go into … intimate detail — if that was what you were worried about."  
Lois sprang up like a nervous tigress. She paced and prowled a few moments before  
whirling to glare at her visitor. "You can’t just heal me — or help me — not like this. I — I  
don’t want to talk to you — and I don’t want to know — and I don’t want to tell you about  
what I went through. If you are looking for the prurient details, you’ll have to be  
disappointed. I survived it — and I’m back home — and that’s all that matters at this  
point."  
"Is — is that really why you think I’m here? To hear the ugly details?"  
"I don’t know. Are you?"  
"I — I think he cares for you, and I guess — I wanted you to know that."  
"You must be crazy. And mistaken."  
<<Please. Let her be wrong.>>  
"He told me — well — I guessed at it… but he didn’t deny it."  
"He told you what?"  
<<Don’t say he loves me. Please don’t say he loves me!>>  
"That he’s drawn to you. Like he was to her. I think he believes that — maybe — if you  
hadn’t gone into that world—you two would have met, and things would have happened  
differently."  
Lois looked away from her penetrating eyes. She shuddered suddenly as if cold.  
"Lois — I — know that — bothers you –but I just wanted you to know — that — that your  
obsession with bringing him down really is painful to him — even if you don’t write those  
articles."  
"I can’t do anything about that. I’m sorry."  
"Can’t you see that he’s really a good man?"  
"All I see when I look at him is a powerful being who could easily destroy the Earth."  
<<Liar.>>  
Lana shook her head, sadly. "He would never do that. He –"  
"Okay — so you did come here to plead his cause after all?"  
"He doesn’t know I’m here."  
"Right."  
"He really doesn’t know I’m here. Really." Her voice and expression were solemn and  
sincere.  
"Great. Whatever. I think it’s time you left."  
Lana stood up reluctantly. "I — I’m sorry. I — I –"  
"Just — leave. Please. Just leave."  
She nodded and walked silently to the door. Lois trailed close behind. She opened the  
door to let her out.  
"I’m sorry, Lana. I really am."  
Lana turned and looked at her for a long moment. Then she nodded, averting her gaze,  
and she turned and walked out the door.  
Lois shut it behind her, and stood there a long while.  
After Lana left, Lois sat down heavily on her couch and sat there in a weary daze for a  
long while. She was jerked out of her reverie by the shrill ringing of her telephone. As was  
her habit, she let the answering machine pick it up.  
"Lois? Lois — this is Lex — I’ve been trying to reach you for quite some time now. Please.  
Just pick up the phone."  
There was a long pause.  
"Come on Lois, I know you’re there. Please — pick up the phone. I want to apologize for  
my behavior the other evening — I know it was unpardonable, and I just wanted to have a  
chance to put things right. Please. I promise, I won’t take up much of your time."  
Lois watched the answering machine nervously, as if magically, he might spring out of it.  
Dizzily she reflected that she had seen stranger things happen.  
"All right. I guess you aren’t ready to talk to me yet. Please — please call me as soon as  
you can. I really want to talk to you. I promise, I won’t call you again if you tell me not to  
— but I need to talk to you just one last time."  
The click that signaled the end of the call filled Lois with relief. Lex had been leaving her  
messages for some time now, and she just wished he’d get the picture. She didn’t want to  
hear anything he had to say — she just wanted him out of her life, permanently. His  
persistence left her with an unpleasant sensation of being stalked.  
<<Why did he think I was at home?>>  
Lois sprang up nervously as she realized that the other times he had called, he hadn’t  
asked her to pick up the phone. Indeed she hadn’t been home all the other times he had  
called — and the one time she was home, he seemed to know it.  
<<Did he put surveillance equipment in my apartment? Oh god — I wouldn’t put it past  
him. How would I ever know? There must be someone I can call about this sort of thing.  
Perry would know. I’ll call Perry.>>  
She picked up the phone and dialed Perry’s private number. Instantly, he picked it up.  
"Hello? Clark!?" His voice had the sound of someone expecting a phone call.  
<<Clark again.>>  
"Perry! No — It’s Lois. Sorry — uh — if you were expecting someone else."  
"Lois — it’s always a pleasure. Is something wrong? You sound upset?"  
"Can I come and see you?"  
"Yes — but what’s –"  
"Not now. I’ll be there as soon as I can."  
She hung up the phone, and quickly made her way down to her car, feeling menaced all  
the way.  
<<I don’t know anymore. I feel like I’m always afraid of someone or something. What  
kind of a life is this? There’s never any peace for me. This can’t go on much longer. >>  
She drove to Perry’s office with a heightened feeling of urgency. She flew past his  
secretary without even noticing her and walked straight into Perry’s office.  
"Lois! What’s wrong? You look — well — you look really upset! Has something happened?"  
Now that she was here, she felt a bit sheepish about her earlier fears. She had no real  
reason to believe he was bugging her apartment, and yet — while she had been there —  
she had been gripped with an intense paranoia.  
<<Of course, it might not be paranoia. They really might all be out to get me.>>  
"Look, Perry — I know this is going to probably sound tedious, repetitious and strange…  
but — I," she paused briefly, casting her eyes nervously around the room. "I — think  
someone might be watching me."  
Something akin to dismay filled Perry’s eyes. "Lois — please — please tell me you don’t  
think Clark is spying on you –"  
"No! No…. not Clark." She barked out a short mirthless laugh. "How about that? For once,  
I’m not here to talk about Clark."  
Perry’s face cleared in an instance.  
"You can talk about Clark, you know — I’m sorry — sorry if I seemed… it’s just-"  
"You get caught in the middle. I know, and I — well — that’s a subject for another  
discussion. I think that …"  
She broke off and put her head in her hands and laughed tiredly. "Listen to me. I’m crazy-  
I’ve just — finally lost my grip."  
"No. No, you haven’t. Remember — you have good instincts, and they’ve saved your life  
before. Who do you think might be watching you? Do — could it be any of those jerks  
from that other world, or the man who took you out of this world in the first place?"  
"Although that is a constant fear of mine… I don’t get any Lord Kal-El vibes… nor do I  
think that Tempus is hanging around… the truth is, Perry, I think Lex Luthor is –"  
Perry immediately interrupted her hotly. "Now that would not come as a big surprise!"  
"I know you don’t like or trust him. But do you think he’d be capable of — bugging my  
apartment?"  
"You think your apartment is bugged?"  
"Yes. I don’t know — I just have a strange feeling — he’s been calling me a lot — trying to  
get in touch with me — and — well — he just left a message while I was at home — and it  
seemed like he knew I was there."  
"Well — sometimes — when you’re trying to get a hold of someone who you think might  
be avoiding you, you assume that maybe they’re home and screening your call — so you  
might ask them to pick up the phone — just on the off chance that it … somehow guilts  
them into doing that. I remember when tracking down unwilling sources for stories, I  
would try that tactic and sometimes it would work."  
"Yes — yes — I know — but all the other times he called, he didn’t think I was there —  
and now — he did — coincidence? Maybe. But then, maybe not. I am not sure anymore  
whether I would put it past him to do something like this."  
"I certainly wouldn’t," answered Perry heavily. "That man — well — he’s as rotten as they  
come. I’m sorry — I know you worked for him — and all that — but –"  
She shook her head wearily. "I know — I know. My judgment when I came back was kind  
of flawed. I was so eager to find someone to jump on my ‘bring down Superman’  
bandwagon that I formed an alliance with him without thinking it through carefully. But  
after working with him, I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that Luthor is not the  
man I thought he was. In addition to being a shady dealer, Lex had — an unprofessional  
interest in me — and at one point, didn’t seem so inclined to take no for an answer. I’m  
through with him."  
"I’m so glad to hear you say that. We were so scared — so worried for you."  
"We?"  
"Uh — Alice and I." Perry lied.  
"Right. Alice." liar. Her voice was very sarcastic.  
"Okay — okay. You know – Alice was worried — but not as much as Clark. But I know you  
don’t want to talk about that. And that’s not why you came here."  
<<I guess you’re tired of hearing me talk about it, Perry. I’ll spare you this time. You  
deserve a break.>>  
"Can you help me?"  
"Yes. Of course I can! You know — Clark could check your apartment out in seconds. You  
would also get the benefit of Lex not being able to figure out what was going on — if  
surveillance detection experts come in, he’s bound to know you’ve caught him out. That  
might make him act in a more desperate manner in the future — if he really is stalking  
you."  
She made a face. "I can’t ask Clark to do this. I wouldn’t even want to — I don’t want — I  
don’t want him in my life either. Perry — it’s too hard — and I know we’ve been over this  
over and over — and I don’t want to rehash it. But he makes me uncomfortable."  
Her voice rose in agitation as she tried to figure out how to disabuse him of this current  
notion.  
"Okay — okay. I had to throw it out there — but — I understand why you wouldn’t want  
him to do this for you. I’ll take care of it. I can have someone over there in a few hours. In  
the meantime, why don’t you stay at my place, or -"  
"No — I think I’m going to go to the Daily Planet."  
"The Planet?" "Yes. I need a job."  
His face broke out into a huge grin. "Oh — that’s just fantastic. I’m so glad to hear it. You  
belong there, you know — you are a part of the Planet, and it’s a part of you."  
She smiled, despite herself. "I know — I know — I — I’ve felt incomplete — and I think that  
the Planet will help me — ease back into myself. You know — sometimes I almost think  
that I’ll be myself again someday. But only in some ways. Not — of course — in all ways."  
She finished the thought glumly.  
Perry had been ecstatic to see the smile, but the quick departure back to her depressed  
state made him feel melancholy. It seemed like nothing would ever help shake her back  
into a more normal state of being. Not that he could blame her. She had been enslaved.  
Her body and soul had taken a great deal of abuse.  
<<But she didn’t break. She’s still standing. >>  
"Please — don’t feel sorry for me," she said astutely reading his thoughts.  
"I’m not — I just –"  
"Wish I were normal again. You know — they didn’t break me. I’m a survivor, and I  
survived it. I’m still here, and -"  
"Lois. Can I ask you something?"  
"Uh — okay."  
"Are you reading my mind?" His voice was vaguely suspicious.  
She looked at him for a few moments, and then burst into laughter.  
"Are you serious?"  
"You seem — sometimes — to be — taking my thoughts right out of my head."  
She sobered up and took a deep breath as she seriously contemplated the question.  
Shaking her head in distracted confusion she answered as best as she could.  
"I don’t know. I feel like — sometimes I feel that — maybe I – it’s like they infected me  
somehow," she said shuddering. "I sometimes hear … people… talking to me in my head,  
and I– somehow they may have turned me into a telepath. Is that strange to you?"  
"Well — not really — okay — yes. It is strange. But no stranger than the existence of a  
man who can fly, or people from another universe, or time travelers?"  
"Do you think it’s possible?"  
"Possible that you are a telepath now? Yes — yes — I guess I do. It’s possible that we all  
have this ability- that it’s something that you just have to learn to do. Look at the way  
athletes can maneuver their bodies in ways that normal people can’t. Ballet dancers can  
spend a lot of time on their toes — and gymnasts can contort themselves in the most  
bizarre configurations and do amazing feats of skill and strength. They have to learn this  
— we aren’t born with the innate knowledge. Then again- who knows — maybe babies  
have a telepathic sense and lose it as they get older. Just like we lose our heightened  
sense of smell and hearing."  
"And this concludes this edition of Scientific Oddities…"  
"Lois."  
"Okay — I know — I’m just — I don’t want to be a freak, you know? And yet- I guess I am.  
The freaky human who can’t stand Superman. The freaky woman who spent three years in  
a different universe. The freaky woman who thinks everyone is out to get her."  
"You aren’t a freak. You are just different — different from what you once were."  
"I want to go back — back to who I was. Is that too much to ask?"  
"Yes. Yes it is — Lois — none of us are who we were three years ago. Everything that  
happens to us alters us. It’s called being alive. The only way to stop it from happening is  
to — die."  
"Not what I was hoping for."  
"I can’t tell you fairy-tales. You will find some kind of center again — some way of being  
that will seem normal to you — that you may even enjoy. You will learn to find some joy in  
life. I am confident you will."  
"Yeah, well anyway — wish me luck. The folks at the Planet may not be so eager to have  
me come on board after my anti-Superman stance."  
"Want me to call –"  
"No! No! I do this on my own. Understand?"  
"Understood. Good luck then."  
A few days later, Lois sat nervously while interviewing with the Daily Planet’s editor.  
"So — why do you want to work for the Daily Planet?"  
The question took her by surprise because of its simplicity and triteness. Straight out of  
Interviewing, 101. And yet — the question, despite it all, was one she found very difficult  
to answer. She could offer up some ridiculous tripe about how the Planet was the best  
paper in the world. And it was — but Lois couldn’t just say that. Managing editor Elena  
Lutz would know for sure that Lois was handing it over on a golden shovel.  
<<How can I tell her? I want to go home? I want to be home. >>  
"I belong here." She said this with quiet resolve, meeting Elena’s clear gaze with her own.  
"I’m — not so sure about that."  
Startled by this, Lois started to defend her suitability. "Look — you know I’m a great –"  
"Yes. You were a great reporter. I’m not arguing that. Honestly, Lois — I can’t figure you  
out. If you were — if you had come to the Planet after you resurfaced and asked for a job,  
I’d have handed you one on a silver platter. I’d have been a fool not to. You are practically  
a legend — and for someone of your age, that is quite unusual. But frankly — you’re time  
with LNN really casts some doubt as to whether you haven’t lost your edge."  
"Lost my edge?" Lois began to get irritated  
"Or maybe your integrity. Your article series on Superman –"  
"Wasn’t true journalism." Lois finished the sentence for her. She was too astute to assume  
that Elena was holding a grudge against Lois because she had painted a not-so-friendly  
picture of a man that Elena had once worked with so closely.  
"You surprise me! You admit it then?"  
"Yes. I know what I wrote was pure speculation. No fact. No basis for truth."  
"Then why did you do it? Was it all for Lex Luthor? It concerns me that you would —  
pander to Luthor in such a way — that you would lay down your own principals to further  
his agenda. You must know that he loathes Superman."  
"Elena, you may not believe me — but my motive for writing the article series had nothing  
at all to do with pleasing Luthor. I went to Lex, because I knew he would let me print the  
series. I knew that I wouldn’t get any argument from him whatsoever. He furthered my  
agenda by offering me a job."  
"Why? What were you after? Fame? You had it! You were a household name before you  
disappeared, and I’m sure you’d have regained that status rapidly on the basis of your  
own merit. So why did you launch this unfounded attack on Clark?"  
She took a deep breath. Her eyes flicked away from the uncomfortable intensity that  
Elena’s gaze held. The woman seemed to be trying to look into her very soul — to try to  
grab out the facts and data that would make this puzzle fit together nicely. Those darned  
missing pieces. Reluctantly, she dragged her eyes back.  
"At the time — at the time — I thought I was doing the right thing."  
"You’re telling me that you believed in your premise?"  
"Yes." Lois gazed evenly back at the woman, letting her decide for herself whether there  
was even an ounce of veracity in what she was saying.  
Elena stared back for a long moment.  
"I can’t have that kind of journalism in my paper."  
"No. I understand that. I -" Lois started to gather her things, in preparation for her  
imminent rejection and departure.  
"So I trust you won’t be submitting any stories along this line without adequate evidence  
that you are reporting the truth and not just your own opinion?"  
"Are you saying that I have the job?"  
"If you want it — it’s yours. I have all the details drawn up for you here — compensation,  
benefits…"  
"You were planning to hire me all along?" Her voice had a dangerous edge to it. Lois did  
not like to be toyed with.  
"Contingent on how you answered the questions about your article series. I want real  
journalists on my paper. No hacks. That’s how the Planet remains the best paper in the  
world."  
"Okay. That’s fair. I’ve … put my series into hiatus. I — don’t really feel the same way  
about it — as I did when I first started writing it."  
"I’m glad to hear that. What… if I may ask — what changed your mind – about Superman?"  
"I haven’t really changed my mind — I’m still wary of the man. I still feel pretty strongly  
that absolute power is corruptive, and that nobody can really be as powerful as he is  
without losing himself in the thrill of wielding that power. I don’t know — it’s possible  
that he’s just a time bomb waiting to go off. But … the actual evidence says otherwise. It’s  
a conflict I can’t resolve, so it doesn’t seem right to keep on writing things that I can no  
longer justify writing.  
"Lois — I admire that. It takes a special kind of person to admit that they could be wrong  
— even when they really feel like they ought to be right. Listen — if Clark ever gives us a  
reason to distrust him — or to investigate him — believe me — I’ll be the first person to  
do it. But he hasn’t — and so I don’t want to be the instrument of causing him any further  
pain. Okay?"  
"Okay."  
<<Further pain? Did my articles hurt him? Did he talk to her about it? Did he talk to Perry?  
Why does that bother me? It bothers me to think of him being hurt by what I’ve written,  
and yet — didn’t I want to hurt him? Shouldn’t I feel good about that? Even if he didn’t  
hurt me, shouldn’t it feel good to get a little payback in? Just a little? >>  
Elena broke into her reverie by asking her when she could start.  
"Immediately. I’m raring to go."  
<<Good gods. I’m home! I can’t believe I’m finally here. Maybe everything will be all right  
in the end. And maybe pigs will — oh. Right. Never mind. >>  
Lois left the Daily Planet with a feeling of lightness that she hadn’t felt since she had been  
abducted. Elena had told her to come to work the next day, as they needed to submit all  
the necessary paperwork before she could be an official Planet employee. She decided  
that she would first head home for lunch, and then head out and do some shopping.  
As she came through her front door, the unwelcome sight of the flashing light on her  
answering machine filled her with a mix of dread and annoyance. Perry’s surveillance  
experts had done a thorough check of her apartment several times over without finding a  
trace of any equipment. Although this left her feeling relatively sure that her apartment  
was not currently bugged, she still had a sneaking hunch that it had, at one point, been  
bugged, and that Lex had managed to get the bugs removed before Perry’s team went  
into action.  
The problem was, Luthor still called her with a relative frequency. The calls came about  
once a week now. She continued to refuse to respond to them, hoping that if she ignored  
him, he would eventually just go away.  
<<When will he get the clue? I don’t want to talk to him. Not now. Not soon. Not ever!>>  
Sighing heavily, she pressed the play button, bracing herself to hear his voice.  
"Um. Hi. Miss Lane – Lois? This is – uh – this is Clark. Clark Kent."  
Panic-stricken, she reached out and smashed desperately at the stop button.  
<<Oh my god! Why is he calling me? I can’t believe he’s calling me!!>>  
She stared for a long nervous while at the machine, her heart pounding hard in her chest.  
<<He’s going to say something about my articles. Or my meeting with Lana. Or – or  
something! I don’t want to know. I could just hit the erase button! Yes! Erasing it – make it  
go away!>>  
Her finger hovered over the erase button for long agonizing seconds.  
<<No! Erase it, and you won’t ever know what he wanted. Just hit play, and hear him out.  
>>  
Sighing again in defeat, she hit the play button, wincing a bit at the expected message.  
"Um. Hi. Miss Lane – Lois? This is – uh – this is Clark. Clark Kent. Look – I realize I’m the  
last person you want to have calling you – and – well – uh – I wouldn’t be doing it if I  
didn’t really have to – And frankly – I’m glad you aren’t home – because – it’s easier for  
me to ask you this on your machine. It’s – actually it’s about your father. He’s – well – to  
put it bluntly – he thinks you’ve lied to him about having no memory of where you’ve  
been the last three years, and he came to me for more information. I don’t mean to be  
obnoxious about this – but – it… it isn’t up to me to resolve this between the two of you –  
and I can’t exactly lie to the guy. <Long pause> I’m sorry to have to — burden you with  
this, but I didn’t know what else to do. Take care. Bye."  
Staggered by this bizarre turn of events, Lois stood staring at her machine in disbelief. A  
million thoughts raced through her head at once.  
<<I can’t tell my dad what happened? No way! And why would he ask Clark? Why didn’t  
he come to me first? And – and Clark sounded so -uncomfortable. Nervous. Embarrassed  
and awkward. So – so different from Lord Kal-El! I better call Lucy. Yes. Lucy is the one I  
should talk to.>>  
After calling Lucy and summoning her post-haste, Lois passed the time by repeatedly  
playing back the message. She strained her ears to hear in his voice the voice of the man  
she had hated and feared for so long. Although the voice was similar, the manner of  
speaking was so different that had she not known that Clark was Kal-El’s counterpart, she  
would never have connected the two just by hearing them speak.  
A loud knock on her door startled her back into reality. Lucy was here. Thank god.  
She flung open the door after checking through the peephole that it was her younger  
sister.  
"What took you so long?!" Her tone was agitated.  
"Long? You have tough standards, sis. I got here as fast as I could. No human could have  
gotten here faster without transporter technology. And besides, considering you’ve been  
avoiding me, you should feel lucky I showed up at all." Lucy looked at her sister with a  
mixture of annoyance and curiosity.  
"Can we get into that later? I need you to hear something – and then I need to talk to you  
about stuff."  
"Is anything wrong?" Her voice switched from bantering-annoyed to concerned.  
"Well. You listen and then tell me what you think."  
She played back the message for her sister, and stood watching her to gauge her reaction.  
As Lucy listened to the message, her expression rapidly changed from mild-annoyance  
into astonishment. She waited until the message ended, and then turned to Lois  
agitatedly.  
"Oh. My. God."  
"Yea. that’s kind of what I thought."  
"You … he called you. I can’t believe that!"  
"I know!"  
"And did you hear how he sounded? Totally nervous. I’m betting he was really happy to  
have guessed right about your not being  
home."  
"Mmm. I’m not sure he wouldn’t have just hung up if I’d picked up the phone."  
"I doubt it. He always comes across as someone who is willing to face adversity if  
necessary. But wow! Oh wow!"  
"What’s stranger, is that Dad knows that I’m lying. That he went to Clark about it, and not  
to, say… you! I mean – you’d think that he’d ask you before anyone else, given how close  
we are."  
"Uh. Yeah. Strange," Lucy said unconvincingly.  
"Lucy."  
"Lois – I didn’t want to upset you. Yes. He came to me first – but – I fended him off."  
"And of course, you lie ever so convincingly."  
"Well, obviously I lie about as well as you do," she retorted snippily. "Remember, it was  
your own failure to lie convincingly that made him suspicious in the first place."  
Lois sighed with weariness. "Whatever. Lucy – what am I going to do?"  
"I think – you’re just going to have to tell him the truth."  
"I can’t do that!" Her voice sounded like a wail.  
"Why not? What’s holding you back? I don’t understand…"  
Lois ran her hands through her hair in frustration as she turned away from her sister.  
"How could you understand? You haven’t gone through it! I don’t want to tell him – tell  
him any of it. It’s ugly. It’s horrible, and it’s shameful!"  
"Shameful?! The people who hurt you should be ashamed, but you shouldn’t be!"  
Lois shook her head in denial.  
"Lucy. You just don’t understand."  
"You’re right, and I admit that. But you need to explain it to me – I don’t understand why  
you can’t tell him. I am sure once you do, Clark would be willing to corroborate."  
"Oh, now that’s just a really pleasant scenario!"  
"Lois…"  
"Lucy. I was a slave. For three years. A slave!" She was shouting now.  
"I know. I know. I’m sorry – I know," Lucy responded quietly.  
Lois scrunched her face up in dismay. "I was owned! I was – violated – and I – had no  
dignity whatsoever. Do you see that? Can you even begin to grasp how you might feel  
about telling people about it? I allowed -"  
"Not allowed! Jeez, Lois! Hardly seeing that you had a choice in any of it -"  
"Even more humiliating. A weak and pathetic creature. That’s what I was. At their whim  
and at their mercy. Owned. Used. No hint of mad-dog Lane anywhere! I was victimized –  
made into a victim. And daddy – oh god – daddy would never look at me the same."  
"How can you say that?"  
"Do you look at me the same? Once upon a time you looked up at me – I was your big  
sister. Fearless and strong. Not afraid to do or try anything, as long as it wasn’t totally  
stupid or suicidal. And now – now, I’m a cowering weak little creature, hiding out behind  
her articles, afraid to live in the real world. Don’t you see that? I’m pathetic, and useless.  
Weak and -"  
"You are NONE of those things, Lois! You have been to hell and back, and you survived it!  
Most people wouldn’t have! You survived it with your sanity! If it had been me, I’d never  
leave my apartment! But you do! You go out there and you continue to do what you’ve  
been doing your whole adult life – champion for truth and justice with the power of your  
words! You inspire me, and you amaze me! More so now than ever! So yes… I do see you  
differently. I admire you more now than I ever did!"  
"Oh … oh, Luce!" She started to cry. "Damn it! I didn’t want to cry!"  
"I – I’m sorry -"  
"No — no — don’t be." She smiled despite her emotional state. "Thank you. Thank you for  
saying that. "  
"Feel better about talking to Dad?"  
She shook her head. "I have this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like I’m about to  
show him a bad report card."  
Lucy barked out a laugh. "Like you know what that’s like!" "Maybe you could tell me how  
you handled it?"  
"Ha! Honestly, Lois — he’s not going to think badly of you."  
"Lucy. Look me in the eye and tell me that you could tell him — if it had happened to you."  
"I could."  
"You could tell him — tell him that you had been victimized. Knowing as you know that in  
his heart of heart, Dad was always disappointed in us."  
Lucy looked away uncomfortably. Her eyes rested on the ground near Lois’s feet. "Okay.  
There is that. But Lois. He’s changed." "He obviously won’t hate me. But he will be… I will  
be diminished in his eyes."  
"I just don’t believe that."  
"I hope you’re right. Lucy. I really hope you’re right."  
Sam and Lois had had a rocky relationship. Sam had always wanted a son. And in the early  
years of her life, he felt the disappointment of losing that dream not once, but twice,  
keenly. Little children are very perceptive, and Lois was able to pick up on the  
disappointment — she just didn’t understand its origins. Lois thought that she was  
somehow failing to live up to his expectations, and carried around with her the feeling  
that she was screwing things up all the time.  
Her father and mother’s relationship had also been turbulent, and Lois felt that it was her  
fault. If she had been a better daughter, they would have been happy. Lost in the very  
self- centric world of a small child, Lois didn’t notice that Sam treated Lucy in the same  
way. In her eyes, she felt that Lucy was his second chance at a perfect child, and so Lois  
worked very hard to show Sam that she was better, stronger and smarter. This early  
competitive streak helped drive a wedge between the sisters. Lucy transitioned from the  
blind adoration an infant has towards its older sibling to a kind of resentment at not  
being able to live up to her example.  
Things had obviously changed. Sam and Ellen seemed to really love each other, and their  
relationship seemed stronger than it ever had before. Maybe it really was me, all along.  
But Lois really didn’t think that. She had a hunch that it was the pain of losing their eldest  
daughter that brought the two feuding parents together. Neither could blame the other  
for what had happened to her, and so they sought comfort in each other.  
"I understand you’ve been talking with Clark," Lois said after seating her father down with  
coffee and some snacks.  
"He called you, did he? I had figured he might – he seemed awfully uncomfortable about  
talking about you with me."  
"Is that why you did it? You hoped he’d ask me to talk to you?"  
"Yes. Your sister refused to tell me anything — I had no choice."  
"You think I’m lying to you?"  
"Well — aren’t you? Come on, Lois. I’ve known you all your life. I’ve always known when  
you’ve lied to me — I just haven’t always called you on it. I know that kids sometimes feel  
they have to lie to their parents, I was young once. But this — this is different. This is a  
big lie, and the only reason you would tell a big lie –one that would be hard to maintain —  
is because you think the truth is much harder to tell."  
"It is."  
"So you aren’t denying it."  
"No. No point. If you know that I’m lying — then — why bother."  
"Lois. Where have you been?" He looked right at her, his expression inscrutable.  
"Daddy. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you."  
"Honey — don’t be so sure. One of my pet theories is that you were kidnapped by aliens."  
Lois’s face went pale white at this statement. Without thinking, she backed away from him  
a little — backing away from the impact of his carelessly true guess.  
"Oh god. Then you were? It’s true?" Sam was incredulous.  
Her eyes darted all around the room, refusing to rest back on his.  
"Come on! Meet me halfway. Please? Please?"  
"Dad," she trailed off desperately. "I can’t –"  
"You have to! I — I have to know! Lois! You have no idea –" his voice broke, and her eyes  
flew back to his in surprise. He was crying? Sam Lane? Crying?  
"Dad." Her voice held a tenderness that she was unused to sharing with this man.  
"Lois — you don’t have children. You have no idea. There is this certain cry that children  
have when they are young. It is a very honest cry — a cry that says — I’m scared. I’m hurt.  
I’m lonely. I’m sad. And I need my mother, or my father — to make it all right again. There  
is a certain innocence — an expectation of comfort. An expectation that you won’t let  
anything bad happen to them. After — after you disappeared — I kept hearing you cry —  
like that. I kept seeing your little-girl face looking at me — with those big brown eyes —  
the humor and silliness — and love — and insecurity — all of it — looking at me —  
expecting that I would never let you fall off the horse, or get lost in a crowd. But I – I failed  
you — I let you get lost in the crowd. And — it tore me apart. When — when we had to let  
go — and give you up for dead — I thought — nothing could ever hurt that bad.  
But then you came back — and we were so happy — so elated — only you disappeared  
again… and so I was wrong — because it hurt so much more to lose you again. Clark told  
us that it wasn’t you – that she was from another world… but it didn’t make t hurt any  
less. It felt like we had lost you all over again — the pain was new and fresh.  
And now — against all odds, you’ve come back home — and this time it really is you. But  
— you’ve been through some awful hell — it’s in your eyes. You don’t trust me anymore  
to take care of you. You don’t trust that there is good in this world — I can see that. You  
can’t even let yourself believe that Superman is truly what he appears to be. Something  
happened to you — and you don’t think that you can trust us with the knowledge of what  
happened. I guess I want you to know that you can. That no matter what — the fact that  
you are back — that is all that matters to us. You can tell us what happened — even if you  
spent the last three yeas on a serial-killing spree — it wouldn’t change how we feel about  
you."  
Lois stared at him in astonishment. She had never seen him cry, nor had she ever  
expected to. With a growing awareness, she realized that her father had really loved her  
all along. He may not have been the perfect parent, but then — again — who really was.  
With sudden clarity of thought, she realized that Sam wouldn’t think less of her if she told  
him the truth. All she had to do was just tell him. And she would be free of one more  
burden — the burden of carrying around the guilt of lying to her family. Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll  
tell him the truth.  
"Dad. God — Dad, I’m so sorry. I had no idea."  
"When — when it happens to you — when you have a child — you’ll understand –"  
"Dad – I won’t be having any children." Her voice was sadly resolute.  
"Lois?"  
"Dad. I was kidnapped and brought into an alternate universe. A different Earth that had  
been overtaken by aliens. Kryptonians. I was forced into … slavery… by these  
Kryptonians. And — it wasn’t a good time. Not by a long shot. So that’s where I’ve been,  
and that’s why … I can’t trust Superman. His counterpart in that world was a cruel and  
vicious man."  
"Please –please tell me you’re still lying to me."  
"You know I’m not."  
"How did you get out?"  
"I was rescued by a dimension-hopper. He claimed that he didn’t know I’d been taken into  
that other world, or he’d have come sooner."  
"Was it Clark?"  
"No — it was a very strange man named Herb. But he seems to know Clark."  
"Herb? This sounds like a load of baloney!"  
"Truth can be stranger than fiction. Come on — we live in a world where a man regularly  
defies gravity."  
"Well, he isn’t defying it — he’s applying upward propulsion that enables him to escape its  
effects."  
"Okay — whatever r-it’s still pretty strange."  
"I’ll grant you that. Lois — my god. This is just so — I guess I can understand why you  
thought it would be simpler to just lie."  
"I guess I should tell Mom, shouldn’t I?"  
"I wish you would. I don’t want to lie to her — there have been far too many lies between  
us in the past. We are trying to live out the rest of our lives together as honestly as we  
can."  
"Okay. I’ll talk to her."  
"Lois — did Clark — did Superman know where you were –all that time?"  
"No. He didn’t. His search for me was honest."  
"You really believe that?"  
"Much as I hate to admit it. Yes. I do."  
"But you still hate him?"  
"No. Hate is too strong a word. I just can’t get past it — you know — he’s the same man  
as the man who — who –"  
"Who what? What did that jerk do to you?"  
"Dad. Trust me when I say this. You don’t want to know, and I’m not going to tell you. I’m  
sorry. I just can’t talk about my experience in that world in this level of detail. I’m not  
ready to face it right now, and honestly — you aren’t the person I want to talk to about  
this. I hope you will respect and understand that. I need you to back off."  
Sam buried his head in his hands. "Oh god." His voice was muffled. "It’s as bad as that?"  
She gently laid her hand on his shoulder. "It wasn’t your fault, Dad. At some point little  
children grow up and their parents have to let them go. You can’t protect me from the  
world — from the universe — or from other universes — I don’t look to you for that  
anymore. I need you for other things — like support — and love."  
"You have that. You always did. But — there’s nobody tangible I can go beat into a bloody  
pulp for hurting my little girl."  
"No. You can’t attack Clark because it wasn’t him. And you can’t attack his double —  
because he is a super-powered alien being who happens to live in a universe apart from  
this one. "  
"It makes sense now. Your series of articles about Clark… it all makes sense now. And  
here we’ve been supporting him and asking you to stop writing those things… you must  
have felt so betrayed — all along having good reason to feel the way you felt, and having  
your own family support –"  
"I won’t deny that I’ve felt hurt and betrayed by it all, but I  
can see now that you couldn’t possibly understand why I was doing what I was doing  
without knowing what I’d been through. For what it’s worth, I’ve stopped writing about it  
for now –because I’ve lost faith in my own initiative. I’ve also taken a job with the Daily  
Planet… my brief stint with LNN is at an end."  
"I can’t even tell you how happy that makes me. You belong at the Planet. And Luthor  
gives me the creeps. I don’t like the way he looks."  
"Dad! You can’t judge a man by his looks."  
"No — the way he looks out of those eyes of his. He’s oily, and he’s always hiding  
something."  
"How come I’m the only one who didn’t see that?"  
"Didn’t you?" "Okay. I guess maybe I did. I just didn’t want to admit it."  
"Listen — as long as we’re being honest with each other, I have something that I need to  
tell you too."  
"Uh-oh. Please don’t let this be about you and mom."  
"No. Lois. Please. This is serious. Deadly serious. But it has to stay off the record. I only  
know about this because of my level of clearance. I’m telling you this because — because  
we may not have a lot of time ahead of us, and I want to make sure we make the most of  
what time we have left."  
"My god. Dad? Are you sick? Are you dying? What -?" Lois stared at her father, aghast.  
He shut his eyes briefly and shook his head. "If only it were that simple. Lois. It’s possible  
that the world might be about to end real soon."  
"Say what?"  
"There’s an asteroid — a rather large one — heading straight at the earth."  
Sam regarded Lois carefully after he had dropped his bombshell. He watched, amused,  
despite the gravity of the nature, because a whole array of emotions played over her face.  
The expression that finally settled into her features was one of utter confusion. Narrowing  
her eyes, she stared at him as if he had just grown another head. Expectantly, he waited  
for her verbal response.  
"You’re kidding. This is some kind of practical joke."  
"You know me better than that. I am not prone to practical jokes, Lois."  
"But… this is just too crazy. Too science fictiony. Come on! It’s a 1970’s disaster movie,  
for Pete’s sake!"  
"They’re calling it Nightfall. Nightfall is over seventeen miles across and is traveling nearly  
thirty thousand miles per hour. There’s probably a week before this thing will collide with  
Earth, and it’s going to cause some major devastation. The human race could be facing its  
own end."  
"Are they sure? The entire human race? Gone? It’s just an asteroid – we should be able to  
recover – at least partly… it can’t wipe out the whole planet at once!"  
"Well – Nightfall could change the Earth’s orbit, knock it off its axis – and then there’s the  
whole dust cloud issue. Nightfall could cause another ice age. Yes – it’s possible that  
humanity could survive – but we are talking a very remote possibility. Will there be life on  
earth? Maybe – but it won’t be us."  
She sat there staring at him with her mouth agape. This was too much to process.  
<<No! The world can’t end!! I was just getting my life back!>>  
"There has to be a way! We have to try! Missiles! Unmanned space shuttles set on an  
interception course! Anything!"  
"Yes. Well – of course – EPRAD has a plan A. And a plan B, in case plan A doesn’t work."  
"Well! Don’t keep me in suspense here!"  
"Remember, honey, this is all still off the record."  
"I know – I know – just spill already. Daddy – is there a chance? Superman – can he help?"  
"He’s plan A."  
"Oh. So plan B – "  
"A rocket carrying nuclear missiles. But due to fuel constraints, they will have to wait until  
the asteroid is very close to the Earth to try that."  
"Won’t that pollute the Earth’s atmosphere with nuclear fallout? And even if the rocket  
does fire successfully and break apart the asteroid – won’t the pieces still hit Earth? What  
kind of damage will that do? What if the rocket misses its target? Guidance systems are  
only as good as the humans who program and design them."  
"Well – yes. That’s why this is plan B. Plan A involves Superman going into space and  
basically moving the asteroid so that it won’t impact with the earth. It’s possible he might  
have to smash it into pieces – but he can then move the pieces. Sounds insane, but it’s  
the best chance that we have. Hell, we’re lucky to even have that chance. A decade or two  
ago – I shudder to think."  
"Has he ever done anything like this before?" Lois was stunned. Was he that powerful? It  
seemed impossible that even someone who could do all the things that she had seen  
Kryptonians do could actually move asteroids and planets out of their orbits. "Can he  
survive in space like that? Has he tried it before?"  
Sam took a deep breath. "You know, Lois – when I talked to him about this… he actually  
asked me if I was planning on talking to you – about… where you’d really been. I told him  
that I was, and then he asked me to ask you if you thought he could do it. At the time, I  
thought it was a very strange question – and he seemed really uncomfortable about  
asking it. He emphasized that if you didn’t want to answer it, he totally understood – but  
under the circumstances, any information would be helpful. It’s funny – I couldn’t even  
begin to understand why you might have any information that he could use. I know you’ve  
done your research into the guy – but anything you would know he would also know. It  
wasn’t until you told me the truth that it dawned on me. You are the only one who has  
experience with other Kryptonians. I’m sorry," he stopped short as she flinched. "I’m  
sorry. I don’t — the last thing I ever want to do is remind you of bad times or cause you  
any unnecessary pain."  
"It’s really okay. Look – dad – I obviously want to help in any way I can. I don’t have much  
to add. I don’t know whether a Kryptonian could do something like this – survive in space  
or actually successfully move a large celestial object. I’ve never seen them do anything  
even remotely like that. I never saw any limits to their power – but never really saw them  
test it on large objects… like an asteroid. Mostly they used their powers to subjugate  
humans – and that didn’t require much of an effort at all." Her face twisted in distaste as  
she remembered just exactly how they had used their powers.  
Sam listened in silence. It was obvious talking about this was causing her pain, and he  
was afraid to provoke any more pain by asking questions.  
<<Lois. What did they do to you?>>  
The query burned in his mind – he would forever be haunted – wanting to know what had  
happened to her specifically – but he couldn’t bring himself to ask her. Not yet. Not while  
it was so raw and painful.  
"Okay. Okay, Lois. Thank you."  
"I’m sorry. Please – please tell Clark – that … I’m sorry."  
<<For what? For not having any answers? For tormenting him? For slandering him? For  
making his life hell? For not loving him?>>  
Her mind twisted uneasily away from that last thought.  
Sam read the depth of meaning and confusion in her words and demeanor. After a brief  
silence, he nodded.  
"I will."  
"When is he going?"  
"As soon as he can. The scientists are fitting him with breathing apparatus and gear to  
help him stay in touch with us."  
"Is he going to take any missiles with him?"  
"No. Too risky."  
"Well – wouldn’t missiles have a greater chance of success than him colliding with the  
thing? Is he worried about becoming radioactive?"  
"I’m sure he’s worried about a lot of things from a personal harm point of view. The man  
has offered to fly out into outer space and stop an asteroid. That has to be a scary  
proposition. But you’re thinking that maybe if he hurled missiles at the thing, he would  
have better success – I don’t know. The scientists still think that the asteroid is close  
enough that the nuclear fallout would be an issue. They have determined that if he were  
to hit it, it would be at about a 50 megaton force – which they think is enough to break  
this thing apart without the missiles."  
<<That’s a lot of force>> She shuddered suddenly at the image.  
"But – what will happen to him?"  
"God only knows. And you know where I stand on that issue." Sam had always been an  
affirmed agnostic.  
Lois nodded grimly. "This plan sounds borderline crazy."  
"It’s the best one we have right now, Lois. It’s really our best shot."  
She exhaled forcefully as she shook her head. "I just can’t believe this. "  
"You know – the family should be together – you know – if something happens. I guess  
what I’m saying is – if I have to face the end of the world, I’d like my last moments to be  
with the people I love with me."  
"Daddy. I – we still have a chance. Remember? Superman will do his best, and so far that’s  
worked out really well. So let’s not think about that right now."  
"Just… promise me – if you can – be with us … if the worst comes to pass. Okay?"  
"Okay."  
"I know – you’re a solitary person – and you like to face your demons alone. But – please –  
for my sake?"  
"Daddy. If this thing collides with the Earth, I promise to be with you, Mom and Lucy. I  
promise – I’ll make my best effort."  
His face cleared, and she could see how tense he had been at the prospect of her facing  
this alone.  
"Am I that distant?" she asked in a small voice.  
"Well-"  
"Okay. Don’t answer that. I’ll – I’ll try Dad. If we – survive this – I will try harder. You’ve  
been trying really hard, I guess it’s the least I can do – to meet you halfway?"  
"Thanks, Lois."  
Later that afternoon, Lois was wolfing down a home-made chocolate sundae. If the world  
was going to end the calories wouldn’t make much of a difference – might as well go out  
happy. Or as close to happy as she was likely to get. Which these days, wasn’t all that  
much.  
<<Stop your whining. You had a better life than most people get. At least… until… >>  
Her reverie was interrupted by the doorbell. She got up to answer it – and was so  
distracted by all she had been told that she didn’t look to see who it was before opening  
the door. As soon as she caught sight of her visitor, she wanted to slam the door back in  
his face – but her sense of manners refused to allow it.  
"Lois Lane. I thought I’d never see you again."  
"Lex. What brings you here?"  
"Lois – you’ve been avoiding me."  
"Yes."  
<<Like the plague, you idiot, and yet you still won’t get the hint.>>  
"I know I behaved very badly and I’ve come to apologize. Won’t you grant me even the  
littlest bit of the benefit of the doubt?" His smile was intended to be disarming, but all she  
could think in her mind was one word: Predator.  
"Okay. You’ve apologized. Apology accepted. Now you can go on with a clear conscience."  
"Lois – I was hoping for more than that."  
Holding in her fear – a fear she had felt as soon as she had seen him standing there in her  
doorway, she affected an air of boredom. "What is it, Lex?"  
"Lois – I have some news — news which you won’t believe – but it – it dramatically  
changes things – and -"  
Guessing that he knew about nightfall, she decided to steal his thunder.  
"This wouldn’t have anything to do with an asteroid, would it?"  
If Luthor was surprised or disappointed by her knowing the news, he didn’t show it. He  
was far too effective an actor for that. "So you know. You know – if the world is going to  
end, there really is no need to be enemies."  
"We aren’t enemies. We just aren’t friends either."  
"I’d like that to change."  
"Then – you shouldn’t have -"  
"I know. I know. I’ve apologized – and I’ve been trying to apologize for a long time. You  
just don’t want to hear it."  
"I just don’t believe it. Your behavior was very -"  
"I know. Way over the line. I’m sorry, Lois. I was desperate, I guess – desperate because I  
knew I didn’t stand a chance. I’m asking you to give me an hour or two of your time – and  
come and see … my alternative plan to dying a horrible and ugly death."  
"I’m not going anywhere with you, Lex."  
"You can come in your own car. I promise – I won’t try to detain you – I won’t lay a hand  
on you."  
"You realize if you do, I can just call for Superman to come help me."  
"And he’ll be there. Red, blue, yellow – the shining hero. I don’t really understand why –  
you’ve been maligning him left and right – and yet he still seems to be at your beck and  
call."  
"He’s hardly at my beck and call."  
<<Could he be right? Is Clark at my beck and call? Does Clark have feelings for me? I  
can’t even begin to think about that possibility. Not now. Not ever. Should I go with Lex?  
What if this is a trap?>>  
"If I didn’t know better, I’d say the boy was in love with you," he said carefully gauging her  
reaction.  
She shook her head violently. "He’s not in love with me. We don’t even know each other.  
Please, Lex. Let’s not talk about this – I’m just telling you that I would have no  
compunction for calling the man for help, and I believe he’d respond. So don’t try  
anything, okay?"  
"Does that mean you’re going to come with me?"  
"In my car. Yes. I’ll come see what you have to show me. I’m sure it’s newsworthy. "  
Thirty minutes later, Lois got out of her car and walked over to where Lex was standing  
near his car."  
"Now, I’m afraid you’ll have to trust me just a little – but remember -you can always  
invoke your ‘get out of Lex’s presence card’, and freedom will be yours."  
Lois flinched at his words.  
<<Freedom. Yes. Freedom is mine, and I won’t give it up again. Not to you, not to  
anyone!>>  
"Where are we going?"  
"Just – follow me," Luthor said with an enigmatic smile.  
She followed him into a building and they boarded an elevator. Several of Luthor’s people  
came on with her, and that made her feel more comfortable. The more people, the better.  
Especially female people. After a seeming-eternity, the elevator stopped. Lois and Lex  
stepped out, leaving his entourage behind.  
"Aren’t they…"  
"I had them come along to make you feel more at ease. I figured you wouldn’t want to be  
alone with me in an elevator. I understand I have to work at regaining your trust. But I  
want to show you this in private. Don’t worry — Superman can still hear you down here."  
His voice was slightly mocking.  
"Where are we?"  
"We are in my ark! We are 500 meters below street level. The ark is walled with sixteen  
inch reinforced concrete and can accommodate over 200 people. It’s stocked with enough  
supplies to sustain all the ‘passengers’ for over three years. In addition, it has agricultural  
and manufacturing capabilities which will enable us to stay on the arc for a longer period  
of times."  
With furrowed brows, she turned to him, forgetting her antagonism and fear for a brief  
moment. "This is just stupendous. I can’t even believe it- but I guess – it makes sense  
that with your resources you would have concocted a plan B for yourself… did you invite  
me here to write about this? If so – thank you! Even if the world ends – this will make one  
heck of a story!"  
"Lois – I’m surprised at you. What point would there be in publicizing this to the world.  
Wouldn’t it just be a case of my rubbing my good fortune in the face of everyone else’s  
misery? That would be so cruel – don’t you think?"  
"Then why am I here?" Her suspicion and fear returned with a vengeance as an idea began  
to take form in her mind.  
<<Oh god, no. He couldn’t..>>.  
"I’m offering you a place – a place amongst the few, the elite, the remnants of what was  
once a noble race. The forbearers of a new and more glorious human race."  
<<Oh god. He could.>>  
"Lex… I don’t know what to say to that."  
"You would have your privacy. See – this is the place I had in mind for you." He opened a  
door with a flourish and watched her carefully as she beheld an exact copy of her own  
apartment, down to the finest detail.  
"You… you -"  
"I know – this is very presumptuous. But – Lois – you are on of the human races finest  
members, and it would be a huge shame for you to be lost in all this mess. I thought it  
would be easier for you to live like this if you had a home that… was – was home."  
"How – how did you… okay – first – why me? I don’t even like you all that much – why  
would you want me to be one of the only 200 humans left?"  
"Well… I like you. A lot. I know – that makes you uncomfortable… but I’m hoping in time  
you’ll change your mind. Maybe I’m just an acquired taste – maybe over time, you might  
… feel something similar for me."  
She worked very hard at keeping her disgusted reaction from displaying on her features.  
"You’re hoping I’ll… be some kind of companion?"  
"At my side – Eve to my Adam. But – but of course, only if you want it," he added hastily,  
astutely picking up her reaction.  
"That’s…"  
"Look – just think about it. Obviously you don’t have a lot of time to deliberate on this  
decision, but -"  
"No. Lex. I don’t want to lead you on. The answer is – can only be – no. If the world is  
going to end, I have to be up there to see it. To report it. That’s what I do – that’s what I  
am – a reporter. This is the biggest story to ever hit… bigger than Superman."  
<<Never mind that you’re a disturbed and sick jerk for doing this. Were you in my  
apartment? How did you ever duplicate it like this without having spent a great deal of  
time in there? You did bug my place, and you probably have been there without my  
knowledge and consent. You lousy stinking creep. Violating my space like that, now I’ll  
have to move. I can’t live there anymore knowing you’ve been in there like this. >>  
"Please… please give it more thought."  
"No. I said – No." Her voice rose in irritation, and he detected the edge. Wisely he  
retreated.  
"Well then – I’m sorry. Sorry that you won’t be there at humanity’s rebirth."  
"I think Superman will stop this thing," she said with false confidence. "I wouldn’t give him  
more than a thirty percent chance."  
"How could you possibly even know – the fact that nothing on Earth has ever proved to be  
an insurmountable obstacle to the man should tell you something about his abilities. He’s  
flown through tornados unscathed. I think he can do it."  
Luthor smiled. "With such delightful support, how can he fail?"  
<<Bite me, Luthor.>>  
"Let’s go back up, Lex. This place makes me feel claustrophobic."  
Later that day, Lois sat alone in her apartment.  
<<This place reminds me of Lex. I shouldn’t be here.>>  
She was once again digging deep into a carton of double-chocolate fudge ice cream.  
<<If the world doesn’t end. I’m in deep trouble. I’m going to have to hit the gym double-  
time.?>>  
In reality, Lois knew that she was more than a little under- weight from her experiences in  
that other world. A few thousand calories wouldn’t do her any damage at this point. Lois  
had bigger things to worry about. Luthor had an unhealthy fixation for her, and if the  
world didn’t end, she was going to have to deal with that. The fact that he had been in her  
apartment and studied it to the level of detail where he had replicated it so perfectly gave  
her an immeasurable sense of menace. Did he have all her clothes duplicated? Down to  
her underwear? How often had he, or his minions, been in her apartment? How did he get  
it so right? And how could he not see how twisted and disturbed his actions were?  
How long had he known about this threat to the Earth, that he was able to get that bunker  
put together? Had he already had the bunker in place, complete with her apartment-  
replica even before knowing about the threat? Had he planned to abduct her and force her  
to live with him there even before? Did he have anything to do with the current threat?  
Could he have somehow managed, with his vast resources, to cause some kind of  
explosion in outer space that would put this asteroid on a direct trajectory to earth?  
<<Oh great. So now I’m transferring all my conspiracy/threat theories to Lex. Why do I  
have to do this? Why can’t I just let it all rest? Come on inner voice. Tell me that I’m crazy.  
Tell me that I have nothing to fear from Lex Luthor.>>  
Her inner voice was disturbingly silent.  
<<Fine. Fail me now, in my hour of greatest need. How come you’ve been chattering away  
at me when I was investigating Clark… but now you won’t even lie to me — give me some  
modicum of reassurance about Lex?>>  
She waited, listening deep within her — but still… silence.  
<<Well — maybe the world will end, and I won’t have to worry about him. There’s some  
small comfort. Maybe Clark will fail.>>  
At that thought, she began to turn her thoughts towards Clark and his seemingly suicidal  
mission. He was going to hurtle himself towards an asteroid in hopes of altering its  
trajectory or reducing it to a smaller pile of rubble that would do no harm.  
<<That’s lunacy. The man is a lunatic. He’s insane if he thinks that he can do this and  
survive. I guess — maybe he isn’t really crazy. Just desperate. Aren’t we all? Desperately  
hoping that the Earth survives. That he succeeds? Does he think he’ll survive this, or is he  
resigned to dying in the attempt? How does that feel — to embark on a mission like this  
— knowing full well that it will hurt? That it will hurt badly. And that it will end. Once and  
for all — it will end — for him. How would it feel to encounter a huge burning fireball in  
space, and then hurtle towards it with all your speed and might? Could I rush into a  
burning building even? Men and women do it all the time. Animals even do — to save  
loved ones… but to do it out there — in the cold and empty spaces of the universe?  
Terrifying. Terrifying and lonely. How can he even think of doing that?>>  
Grimly she stood up and threw the carton of ice cream back into the freezer. Suddenly she  
had lost her appetite. The idea that he was going to do this thing left her feeling very  
depressed and unsettled. She had a lot of unresolved guilt over her treatment of the man.  
She knew that she had started out her investigations with the best of intentions. She truly  
had believed in her agenda. But over time, she had lost faith in what she was doing — and  
yet — she continued to do it for a while longer.  
She continued because of the momentum and because of another more sinister reason: a  
burning desire to get some revenge for what Kal-El had done. She wanted to hurt him —  
hurt him because of the way she had been hurt. She was angry, and he bore the brunt of  
it. Her whipping boy. But eventually even these feelings had died down. Yes, she hated  
Kal-El with all her being, and if she could she would tear him apart — willingly — without  
any remorse or hesitation. But she couldn’t deliberately hurt this other. This gentle  
doppelganger who seemingly was the exact opposite of the man she had hated and  
feared for so long. Never in her time back in this world had he ever hurt or threatened her  
in any way. He had never hurt anyone else either. His entire purpose seemed to be to offer  
help where he could. Even prior to becoming a superhero, he had exhibited these  
characteristics throughout his youth and early career. She could no longer stomach what  
she had done, and that’s why she had finally laid her article series to rest.  
A niggling voice inside her told her that she owed the man an apology — that the noble  
thing for her to do was to go see him before he hurtled himself outward into the embrace  
of almost certain death — and tell him that she was sorry. Not for his forgiveness, that  
she didn’t need — but to alleviate some portion of the pain he must have felt at her  
attack. She knew that he had feelings for her doppelganger, and so it must have been  
painful to have her turn on him like that. Perhaps if she went and told him that she was  
sorry, it would give him some peace of mind. He could at least die without having that on  
his mind. But even as she thought about these things, she knew she would never be able  
to do that. He would have to go into the unknown without her benediction.  
The sound of her cell-phone ringing disrupted her thoughts. After a few minutes spent on  
the phone, she gathered her things to leave for the press conference that she had been  
directed to cover. The asteroid would be made public.  
The press conference had gone as expected. The politicians (Perry, et. al), the military and  
the scientists all stood together grimly and delivered the devastating news. Reactions of  
the public were also as expected – shock, disbelief, despair.  
At the end of the conference, the crowd stood soberly – observing an unintended moment  
of silence. Such a silence was very uncharacteristic for the media, but uncharacteristic was  
a word that would also describe the news. There might be a morning edition on the next  
day, or a late night edition on this day… but soon – the printing presses would grind to a  
final halt. Even if any part of humanity’s toil survived the fiery impact, these machines of  
human industry would merely serve as tools for future visitors and inhabitants to try to  
piece together the way we live now. It was a vastly sobering thought.  
"And now," said Perry, breaking the awkward silence, which in fact had only spanned  
about 20-30 seconds, "I’m turning over the floor to Superman. Everybody – please  
welcome Clark Kent."  
Clark moved his way through the crowd of politicians, military folk and scientists, and for  
the first time, she realized he had been there all along. He was dressed as Clark – and  
blended into the crowd just like any other man would. But here, in front of them all, all  
eyes turned to him – rapt with hope and desperation. Clark was the only one standing  
between them and annihilation.  
"As you have all been briefed – I am going to go try to stop this asteroid. I wanted to  
reassure you all that I will give it my best effort and I won’t come back until the job is  
done."  
"Clark — Clark!"  
"Yes?"  
"Leyna Lovely – High Happenings."  
"Yes. Ms Lovely?" Clark beamed a high-wattage smile at her that would have possibly  
raised the eyebrows of any on looking gossip columnists. What they didn’t know was that  
Leyna and Clark were good friends – from even before his exposure as Superman. His  
smile was meant to be both approachable and to signal a ‘hello’ to an old friend. The  
gossip columnist would however have just seen that a very eligible and handsome  
superhero had given a very beautiful and eligible female reporter a smile that most  
women would kill for.  
Lois seethed. Leyna had been a long-time rival of hers. In addition to being an excellent  
reporter, she was also intensely beautiful and came from a very wealthy family with  
powerful connections. The fact that the fates had decreed that she would be born with a  
surname that in her case was also an apt description just added to Lois’s pique. But why  
was she feeling anger? What difference did it make to her if Clark and Leyna were an item?  
<<Just look at her. Dripping with superficial ooze. Stupid little … damsel in distress. Oh  
please! Lay your cape across a puddle! Don’t want to get my Via Spaga shoes all dirty. And  
look at him. Eating it up. Why doesn’t she tell him what big muscles he has? Why do I  
care? This is ludicrous. I don’t want him – why can’t she have him?>>  
Lois then cursed herself for the fact that despite the gravity of the fact that an asteroid  
was hurtling, practically unstoppable, towards her only home, she was obsessing over  
something this banal.  
<<Good lord, I’m messed up. I’m a mess. The world is coming to an end, and all I can do  
is be jealous… no – wait! I’m not jealous! How could I ever be jealous? Ok. I admit that I’ve  
always envied her… she has it all. But my life isn’t so shabby – or at least, it wasn’t. I’m  
not awfully hard on the eyes either, and although I don’t come from wealth, I have a  
fantastic family. So what is it? Why do I feel this way? Am I transferring my feelings about  
the asteroid? Do I need something stupid to focus on so I don’t need to face the greater  
peril at hand? Or what? I don’t want him – I can’t – how could I. He’s just like Kal-El.  
Physically at least… even on the odd chance that I ever want to be intimate with a man…  
and I can’t even contemplate that ever happening after… no – not that. I can’t go there. I  
won’t let those thoughts in. He looks just like Kal-El. He’s built just like Kal-El. He has  
Kal-El’s power. He would literally be the last man in this universe that I could ever be  
with. So why? Why do I feel this way? Is… it that I know he and I are together in a world so  
much like this one? What if … what if he’s the one? My one and only. My soul mate. If… if  
the world doesn’t get destroyed and he ends up with someone else… and he and I were  
intended to be together… where does that leave me? Out for the count for this lifetime?  
What the hell am I talking about? I don’t believe in soul mates. I’m not sure I believe in  
souls. I certainly don’t believe in reincarnation or predestination.>>  
Lois took in a deep and frustrated breath, loud enough that it turned several curious eyes  
upon her. One set belonging to Clark.  
Clark quickly turned away as soon as he made eye contact with her because he knew he  
made her nervous. But why was she so agitated by this particular exchange? She had  
made that sound as soon as he smiled at Leyna. Could she be jealous?  
<<In your dreams, boy. She isn’t remotely interested in me … she’s just probably upset  
about the whole asteroid thing. Yea – who wouldn’t be? Better focus on Leyna’s  
question.>>  
"When are you going out to stop this thing?"  
"Within the hour." His voice and expression were grim.  
This drew a collective gasp of shock from the crowd.  
Lois stood staring at him with a stricken expression on her face.  
<<Oh god. Within the hour? He’s standing there, all calm and collected, and he’s about to  
go meet his doom within the hour. 60 minutes. 3600 seconds. How can he be so calm  
about it? And the rest of us? We’ll know our fate soon enough. >>  
Remembering her duty, she summoned up her courage and called out to him.  
"Superman. Lois Lane – Daily Planet."  
"Yes, Ms Lane?" He smiled, but it wasn’t the same smile he had given to Leyna.  
<<Stop it, already, Lois.>>  
She mentally scolded herself and then asked him: "Are you ready for this? Aren’t you  
taking any gear with you? Air to breathe? A communication system? And – have you done  
any kind of physical preparation for the rigors ahead?"  
"Yes. I will be taking about six hours worth of air with me, and gear which will enable me  
to keep contact with the folks here – or hopefully keep contact. But as far as preparation –  
there really isn’t a lot of time. My best bet is to get this thing before it gets any closer.  
We’re worried that if it gets too close, the pieces that come apart as a result of my efforts  
may collide with Earth before I can stop them. I don’t want any part of this asteroid  
connecting with Earth."  
"Do you think you’ll be successful?"  
"I have to be. There’s no other choice." His eyes seemed to bore right into her soul as he  
said these words.  
She looked back at him. For the first time, not afraid of the extended eye contact. Her  
expression, unbeknownst to her transmitted a wealth of regret and meaning his way.  
<<I’m sorry. So sorry.>>  
In her imagination, she felt that he heard her. Maybe he did – maybe they did broadcast to  
each other. She heard his reply – imagined or real:  
<<I know. I am too.>>  
He reluctantly broke off the eye contact and turned to answer other questions.  
"Superman – what if you determine that you can’t stop this thing… after seeing it? What  
are your plans then? Are you going to return to Earth? Or…"  
<<He wants to know if I’m going to abandon Earth to its fate.>>  
"This asteroid is going to stay on its trajectory… over my dead body."  
That stopped the press conference cold. Everyone stood and looked at him soberly  
soaking in the impact of his words. He would give up his own life to save theirs. They had  
no reason to really think he was just talking big, or even that he was lying. His past heroic  
efforts had shown them quite clearly that he was willing to go into unknown danger no  
matter what the cause. He took this opportunity to end the press conference.  
"I think our time is up now. You all have stories to report, and I have to get ready to go fly  
out and stop Nightfall. I believe wholeheartedly that I can stop this thing, and I want to  
thank you for all the support you’ve given me – both on this issue and on every other. It  
has never ceased to amaze me how wonderfully accepting the human race was towards  
me after it became known that I was from another planet. You should all be proud of that  
– I don’t know that my own species would have been that open minded."  
Lois heard these words with a stab of guilt.  
<<Right. Everyone accepted you until I came along>>  
Her discussions with Perry, and her observations of things around her had shown her how  
effective her article series was. She had succeeded in raising a significant amount of  
paranoia about the man of steel’s true purposes, and she was sure he had felt the effects.  
The interview now over, Leyna walked purposefully over to Clark with a mischievous smile  
on her face. The crowd of reporters didn’t intrude on the tête-à-têtes, bound by some  
obscure rules of the trade and by the desire to afford the Man of Steel some last moments  
of rare privacy. Lois witnessed it with a sour feeling in her stomach.  
<<What is she up to? Are they having an affair? How come I didn’t unearth anything about  
that when I was investigating him? Anyway, I thought I heard that she was gay. >>  
"Clark, do you have just a few seconds to spare?"  
"Just a few. Time isn’t exactly on our side. But sure – what’s up?"  
"I just wanted to say ‘Good Luck’." She smiled, touching his arm suggestively.  
"Leyna, what exactly are you up to?" Clark was amused by her attentions. "Last I  
remember, you weren’t exactly interested in men."  
"Well, last I remember, you aren’t exactly a man," she said, smiling winsomely up at him.  
She had stepped in very close, making it seem to any outside observer that she was very  
close to giving him a good luck kiss.  
He raised his eyebrows at her in amusement. "Excuse me?"  
"You’re a superman, darling. That’s intriguing enough to make a girl switch camps for a  
night."  
"Are you hitting on me?" He smiled at her, knowing full well that she wasn’t. "Because you  
know – your timing is awfully bad. And I thought you were in a committed and happy  
relationship."  
"I am," she said lightly. "I just wanted to yank Lois Lane’s chain."  
"What?"  
"She makes me so mad! Ever since she resurfaced, she has made it her business to bring  
you down. It just infuriates me the way she’s treated you. And then, what’s worse is – now  
she’s acting like none of it ever happened. What’s up with that? I saw her reaction to me  
when I asked my question – she put on that sour- faced expression that she’s so good at.  
I figured maybe she was nursing some kind of unrequited thing for you – and that’s why  
she went on the warpath. In any case – it seems to be working – she’s trying to act like  
she doesn’t care that we’re talking – but clearly – it’s bothering her."  
"Leyna. Please leave her alone. Promise me – you’ll leave her alone. She isn’t in your  
league – not anymore."  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"She’s had a rough time of it lately. I can’t talk about it, but she has good reason to fear  
and distrust powerful people. I never did anything to her, in case you were wondering…  
but her feelings towards me aren’t all that strange, if you knew her history. She’s not  
trying to win a Pulitzer or a Kerth – she wrote her articles because she believed that the  
Earth was in danger… from me. I think she feels differently now."  
"Well, she’d BETTER. You’re about to risk your life for the Earth. That should count for  
something."  
"I’m not doing it to get gratitude – not from her -not from you – not from anyone. This  
thing is heading towards my home. It isn’t even a heroic gesture, if you think about it. I’m  
desperate. I want to live. I want a home. I’ve already had one planet go and blow up right  
under my feet… or nearly so… and I don’t want to have it happen again."  
"Why do you do that? Downplay your heroism?"  
"Because in this case it isn’t heroism. It’s sheer selfish survival."  
"With a dash of nobility thrown in. Don’t argue it, we all know what kind of a man you are.  
Well – everybody except for Lois Lane."  
"Please. For me. I’m asking. Leave her alone – please?"  
"How can I resist when the most powerful man in the world begs. I guess I owe you one or  
two favors. So okay. I’ll lay off. But someday I want to know what happened to her."  
"That isn’t my story to tell. Just give her a break. She really deserves one."  
"Well, I think she’s really feeling jealous about our conversation here."  
"She’s not jealous. Trust me. Lois Lane has no romantic aspirations where I’m concerned.  
None. Zero. Nada."  
"You sound… kind of sad when you say that. Do you have feelings for her?"  
"I said I only had a few seconds. I have to go now, this thing isn’t going to go away on its  
own."  
"And so the answer is a big resounding yes. All right, Clark – good luck. I mean it. I mean  
obviously I do – but – don’t get yourself killed, okay? The Earth needs you. We need you."  
Her voice caught on the last words.  
"I won’t. I promise. I’ll be back." He squeezed her arm gently in a gesture of friendly  
affection.  
Lois watched the interchange with a burning sense of curiosity. There was nothing that  
she wanted more at this point than to be equipped with super-hearing so she could hear  
what they said. A few times Leyna had boldly looked directly at her during her  
conversation with the Man of Steel.  
<<They’re talking about me. Oh, whatever. Who cares? What difference does it make, the  
world’s going to end anyway.>>  
Clark followed the scientists into the building, only to resurface a few minutes later  
dressed in his more conspicuous togs. He was geared up and ready to go.  
"I’ll see you all soon!" His voice was cheerful and optimistic, belying the intense feelings of  
doubt and fear that had plagued him ever since he first learned that he would have to  
undertake this mission. He stepped away and lifted off into the sky – trying desperately  
not to let his feelings get the better of him.  
<<What am I doing? I’m going to go into outer space and fly into an asteroid. Am I crazy?  
How do I even know that this is possible? Maybe I’ll die before I even get there. How could  
I leave them with all that hope when I myself feel that this is a no-win situation? I wish… I  
wish this thing wasn’t heading towards Earth. I wish – I had said goodbye to Lois – that  
she had said goodbye to me. I wish things had been different. >>  
As he flew off, Lois stood watching, her eyes cast upward, following his rapidly receding  
figure.  
<<Good luck, Superman. Good luck – and goodbye. I’m sorry – for everything, and I really  
hope you make it. I really hope you survive this. Good luck! >>  
After he had disappeared from view, she felt a sting of tears in her eyes.  
<<Why am I crying? Probably because the world’s about to end. Yea. That’s probably it.  
It’s enough to make anyone cry. But I feel badly for him. He must be so scared – he must  
feel so alone and so terrified. How could he not feel scared? He’s never done anything like  
this before, he has no reason to think that he will succeed. He might succeed in knocking  
it off course – but how could he ever survive that? What if he runs out of air? I wish I’d  
never … but it’s too late for that, now. I did what I did because I thought it was the right  
thing to do. Goodbye, Superman. I hope for your sake that there is an afterlife and it’s a  
better place than this.>>  
Later, Lois sat drinking coffee with Lucy in the comfort of Lucy’s apartment. She was too  
nervous to do much else, and she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life in an apartment  
that now reminded her of Lex Luthor.  
"So – he had your apartment duplicated? Down to the last detail? What a creep! "  
"Yea."  
"You don’t sound very angry? Come on — this has to have you all upset!"  
"It did… it does. But — come on Lucy — the asteroid?"  
"It’s hard… you know — to believe it — to realize it’s real. It’s so ridiculous — and — it  
doesn’t look like we’re in any danger. It isn’t visible yet to the naked eye. I wonder what  
that will be like. Seeing it there — angry and glowing and huge in the sky. Knowing that  
it’s going to impact and kill us all."  
"It isn’t going to do that. We aren’t ever going to know what that’s like!"  
"You really think he can do it? Did — did you ever — did anything like this ever — "  
"No. No — funny you should ask. Dad asked me too — I guess Clark had asked him if he  
would."  
"Wow. That must have been weird for you."  
"Yes — it was. But would have been far worse if he had asked me himself."  
"Lois. How did your talk with Daddy go?"  
"You know — it went — it went well." Lois answered the question with a smile on her face.  
"I feel like we connected. I feel like we’re closer now than we have been in a long time.  
And… I guess — if I’m going to meet with fiery death… that’s kind of a good thing to  
have closure on."  
"I thought… you said that we weren’t going to die."  
"Oh – Lucy. I don’t know. I just don’t know. Can he stop this? How can anybody know? But  
he has never come up against the limits of his strength and power — not that I’ve ever  
seen — here or there — or anywhere. I have to believe he can do this. It seems — well …  
destined that he would be able to do this."  
"Destined? Lois — you aren’t suddenly finding religion are you? I mean –"  
"No. Wouldn’t that be a hypocritical hoot. No. I …I’m not — but that guy Tempus pulled  
me into that other world so that I couldn’t help turn this one into a better place — a  
peaceful place. If that’s supposed to happen — then an asteroid can’t destroy humanity.  
Right?"  
"Right, but… what if Tempus was from another universe? He might have just started trying  
to prevent this utopian world in all the alternate worlds — just out of spite. Right? Or are  
there an infinite number of tempus doppelgangers too? All evil?"  
She sighed heavily. "This is giving me a headache. I just don’t know. You know? I just  
don’t know."  
"Then why are you so sure? You seem so sure," her tone was wistful.  
"Lucy… I just don’t want to start thinking in terms of dying until I have a stronger sense of  
that being probable. He’s out there, and he’s committed to stopping this thing — and  
until we know for a fact that he… has failed… then I need to believe he’s going to  
succeed. Otherwise — what’s the point in anything? Let’s go on a huge shopping spree  
and eat all the chocolate we can."  
"Eat, drink, be merry…"  
"Exactly. That’s giving up — and I can’t… I won’t do that."  
"Okay. Then neither will I! But, can I ask you something?"  
"Sure…" her voice was guarded. Lucy surely wasn’t going to start asking her about her  
experiences in that other world.  
"Your perspective on Clark seems to have changed… do you — you don’t think he’s really  
dangerous anymore, do you?"  
"I think it is inherently dangerous to have a super powered alien living amongst us. But  
it’s more dangerous having a large asteroid hurtling directly at the Earth. I don’t think  
he’s… lying to us anymore. I guess I haven’t thought that for quite some time — but now  
— well — this whole thing with Nightfall has sort of forced me to finally admit it to  
myself… and to others. I think that he is what he appears to be — and if you only knew  
how hard that was for me to say."  
"I know," she said quietly.  
"Thanks," she smiled briefly at her, before continuing. "I am admitting that I was wrong —  
I was wrong on two counts — well – more than two counts. I was wrong about him, wrong  
about Luthor — but mostly — I was wrong to keep the series alive even after I had doubts.  
That is the one thing I really feel badly about."  
"Oh, Lois — you had good reason to think the way you did –"  
"I know — but I was writing against what the facts were showing. I was hurting Clark  
because I wanted to hurt Kal-El. I still do want to hurt Kal-El — that will never go away –  
but I don’t want to hurt Clark anymore. I guess I see them as two separate people.  
Finally."  
"Do — do you think you two could ever be friends? You know — if he stops the world from  
ending?"  
Lois took a deep sigh, and looked her sister directly in the eyes. "I don’t know. I don’t  
think so. He may not be Kal-El — but he will always look just like him. Sometimes — it’s  
in his voice, his mannerisms, his body language — and it horrifies me — I can go from  
being somewhat at ease to completely terrified in seconds. All it takes is for him to just  
trigger that. No friendship could be based on that kind of shaky foundation. And if — if  
you’re right –and he had… a thing for her, wouldn’t he then transfer some of that to me?  
What kind of relationship is it where one person occasionally is disgusted and terrified by  
the other, and the other person occasionally has strong romantic inclinations. It couldn’t  
work. No amount of time or healing could make that work. Not that I can see."  
"I guess you’re right," Lucy answered sadly, "but remember — there was a time where we  
all thought that mom and dad could never make it work — get beyond all the anger and  
the pain that they had caused each other. But they did… and now — they’re together, and  
they are happy together. Especially now that you’re back."  
"But it took something drastic and awful to make this happen — losing their child. Me.  
Losing me. Clark and I — we don’t have anything in common that could drive us together  
— in friendship that is. Anything further? Never — not with him, not with any man. Not  
ever again!" Her voice rose in agitation as she finished  
her sentence.  
"I know. I can understand that. And — for what it’s worth, I don’t think Clark ever thinks  
anything like that is possible."  
"God, no — he doesn’t. But Lex sure does. Between Lex and I — and that’s far more  
disturbing than even contemplating a … relationship … with Clark." She shuddered  
involuntarily. "If ever there was a Kal-El-like person in this world, it would have to be  
Lex."  
"Clark won’t let Lex hurt you," Lucy said emphatically.  
"You know – I think you’re right. Hey. What do you know about Leyna Lovely?"  
"Um. What… what do you mean?"  
"Is she having an affair with Clark? Or did she? Is there anything between them?"  
"Lois –she’s gay. That’s pretty well known."  
"I know that, but maybe she’s bisexual?"  
"Why do you ask?"  
"They were flirting at the press conference," she said rather sourly.  
"Flirting? That seems way out of character for Clark."  
"Well — mostly she was flirting. He was just being himself ."  
"Oh. Well – I don’t think so — I don’t… I really doubt it. I think they are old friends —  
colleagues, you know. But — I don’t think he thinks of her like that. I’ve never heard  
anything or seen them on the cover of the tabloids."  
"Oh."  
"Why? Does it… matter to you?"  
"It shouldn’t!"  
"But it does?"  
"Kind of." Her voice was small, and she couldn’t meet Lucy’s gaze with her own.  
"But you just said –"  
"I know — I know what I said, I know what I feel — but still — I don’t want her to have  
him. Is that crazy, or what? She and I have been … rivals — for a long time — and it would  
seem like she had… somehow… trumped me in some way. You know? I know it’s crazy."  
"It’s human, Lois."  
"I know I can’t have him — I don’t want him — I know I don’t — it would be ludicrous for  
me to want to be with him — or any man for that matter — but especially him — but why  
does it bother me so much — the idea that — those two together?"  
"Because — deep down, maybe — you know that if Tempus hadn’t taken you away — you  
and he might have been together in the end."  
"Damn you for being so perceptive."  
"Lois, you’ve never been dog-in-the-mangerly. I know you feel a rivalry towards her, and  
seeing her hook up with the world’s most eligible bachelor would afford her an enviable  
amount of fame and glamour. But your rivalry towards her has for the most part been  
limited to the professional realm. I don’t believe you would begrudge her or anyone else  
due happiness. I really think that it’s about some part of you knowing that he’s… yours."  
"He isn’t mine. And I certainly am not his. I will never belong to anyone else. I belong only  
to myself!"  
"I didn’t mean it that way. Not anything like that"  
"No. I know — but -" the ringing of her phone interrupted her. "Lane here. What? Okay. Is  
there a possibility that his communications gear was damaged? <Long Pause> Okay.  
Okay. Thanks. I’m on it."  
Lois put down her phone and sat glumly in silence for a long  
while.  
"Lois?"  
Lois looked at her with haunted eyes. Her voice was hoarse and thick with emotion when  
she finally did answer.  
"Lucy. They’ve lost contact with Clark. The scientists say that Nightfall has been impacted  
and is much smaller now. A smaller chunk is headed at Earth, the rest will miss us by  
quite a wide margin. But Clark… Clark is missing, and feared to be dead."  
Stunned, Lucy stared at her sister, her mouth agape  
"How can that be? It can’t be! There must be some mistake – there… are they sure?"  
"I don’t know. Lucy – I have to go – go and find out the truth. I can’t even begin to  
speculate on what really is going on. I have to go, Lucy. Are you going to be all right?"  
Lois spoke urgently.  
"I – yes! Of course – go – go and do what needs to be done. Get the news – get the truth.  
But … Lois?"  
"Uh-huh?"  
"Tell me first. Okay? Don’t let me find out the hard way. I don’t want to hear it on the  
news or read it in the paper. Tell me first."  
"Yes. Of course." She hugged her shell-shocked sister. "I will tell you – and mom and dad  
– everything I know before calling in any story. I promise."  
"He can’t be… can’t be dead."  
"No. No – he can’t be. It… I won’t believe it until I see a body – or evidence of a body. Lucy  
– we have to hang on to hope. We can’t let our fear get the better of it. We have to master  
it, or it will master us. Trust me – I’ve lived where there was no hope – and found that the  
only way to stay sane was to refuse to ever give up that last shred of hope."  
"Okay – but it’s not going to be easy – I mean – come on – the world – the world is at  
stake here. In a few short days…"  
"It might be all over. Yes. That’s true – but maybe not. I have to go – I hate to leave you  
like this – but I need answers."  
"Go – go. I’ll be okay. Just…"  
"You first. I promise."  
Lois rushed out the door and headed back to the site of the earlier press conference  
where another one was due to begin shortly.  
Half an hour lately she was in possession of the latest facts as they were known.  
Superman was missing. The asteroid had been impacted. The very likely scenario was that  
he had somehow connected with it – either with his entire body – or with a bolt of heat  
vision or some such other power. He had managed to reduce the size of the object that  
was in a direct line with Earth, and the other pieces seemed to be on non-intersecting  
trajectories. But there was still a sizeable amount headed towards earth, and it would  
soon be close enough to see with the naked eye.  
EPRAD was planning to use a rocket to eliminate the rest of the threat, but as they had  
said before, it was unknown whether or not pieces would still hit the Earth – assuming  
that the rocket was able to hit the object. They had decided to send the rocket up while  
the asteroid was at its present location rather than waiting until it got closer to balance  
out the risk of missing the asteroid with the danger of radiation and of stray pieces  
landing on populated areas. The rocket would be sent out within 12 hours, as it had  
already been prepared as a stand-by measure.  
Of Superman, there was no good news. He was missing. Pure and simple. He had had  
plenty of time to get back to Earth, or to regroup and try to pummel the rest of the  
asteroid into smaller rubble, or to move the remaining chunk out of a path with Earth, and  
yet, he had yet to do any of these things. He was either dead, badly hurt, flung out so far  
that it was going to take him a very long time to return, or… or he had abandoned  
humanity to its fate. But no matter how you looked at it, it seemed very probably that  
humanity was on its collective own.  
<<There’s never a Superman around when you need him. Sure, he’s around to save a  
kitten out of a tree, but when there’s a big old asteroid heading towards the Earth. Where  
is he? Nowhere to be found, that’s where. No. That’s not fair. He obviously did something  
– and … and in all reality he’s either dead or hurt. I don’t believe he abandoned Earth, and  
I think if he had been flung far away, he could return. He travels very fast. He’s gone. We  
can’t count on him. I only hope that his end came quickly – without pain. I should go talk  
to Perry. He’s probably feeling very devastated. And how do I feel? Funny – I feel really bad  
about it. Not so much the asteroid part, although I’m sure that will change after we try the  
rocket plan. If that fails, I’m sure I’ll start to see this as a real threat to my own person.  
But I feel bad for Clark. He died alone up there. And that had to have been really awful. I  
hope he knew how many people loved him and how many people will mourn him for  
whatever time we have left. It’s all just so depressing.>>  
With a heavy heart, she started making a mental list of things to do. Mostly, she was in  
stand-by until the rocket was sent out to do its duty. She needed to stick close to the  
story so she would have to suspend any visits to family and friends until later.  
<<It can all wait. It can wait until we know it’s the end. Then… then… I just don’t  
know.>>  
Perversely, she started thinking about Luthor. What was he thinking about all this? Was he  
gloating about his Ark? Was he envisioning himself a modern day Noah? Someone who  
magnanimously would be doing the will of some deity – keeping a select group of  
humanity alive to be the roots of a whole new race of humans? She shuddered in  
revulsion.  
<<He thought I would be his Eve. God – I’d rather the asteroid struck me full on in the  
head than ever go live with him in that horrible bunker. Death would be preferable to  
Luthor.>> As she thought about Luthor, she realized that now there was nobody out  
there to protect her from him. Even though she hadn’t really trusted Clark for a very long  
time- she suddenly realized that he had played a very strong role in her not being hurt by  
Luthor that night he had tried to force her to stay for dinner. Who knows what else he  
would have tried to force upon her – and who knows whether he would have succeeded. In  
fact, if Superman hadn’t been a factor, would she be a prisoner in Lex’s ark? Did she then  
have cause to worry now? She should definitely keep herself out of solitary situations  
where she was a potential abducted.  
<<But really – with all the havoc and rioting that should start happening, won’t we  
descend into lawlessness? There is nobody out there who could really protect me from  
someone as powerful as Lex.>>  
Even if the Earth did survive – if the rocket hit its target and deflected the threat, they  
would still be without Superman. Lex would have no obstacles in his way and he would be  
able to resume his pursuit and harassment of Lois without any fear of impunity. She had a  
bad feeling that he was holding himself in check because he knew that Superman had  
taken an interest in protecting her. Now – with nothing staying his hand, what would he  
do?  
The only real solution was to fight back. She would have to fight the only way she knew  
how. With the power of the pen. That meant that she would have to go dig the dirt on  
Luthor. Suddenly she realized that there was a wealth of resources at her fingertips. She  
had only to go and retrieve it.  
<<The briefcase. At Clark’s apartment!>>  
She knew what she had to do — she was going to break into Clark Kent’s apartment.  
When she arrived at his apartment, she was surprised to find out that she was on the list  
of people granted access to his apartment.  
"Are you sure? Lois Lane… can you double-check?" She wasn’t sure why she was  
contesting this, but it just amazed her that he would have trusted her to have this level of  
access after all she had said and done.  
"Yes –Lois Lane. That’s you — so you can go on up. He said especially that if you came  
when he wasn’t here — or if he had… gotten killed… that you were to have access."  
"Not Lana Lang. Lois Lane."  
"Ma’am. I’m not an idiot. It says Lois Lane. You’re Lois Lane. Now do you want access or  
not?"  
"Fine — fine — I’m just surprised."  
The look on the guard’s face said that he too was surprised, but he kept his professional  
demeanor and refused to comment on that point. "Do you need an escort or can you find  
it on your own?"  
"Do I need an escort — or am I allowed up there on my own?"  
"Clark said to give you complete access if you asked."  
"Then… I’m asking."  
"Go right ahead up, then."  
She took the elevator up to where he lived, and she used the key given to her by the  
guard to let herself into his apartment. Looking around, she felt a twinge of sadness. His  
apartment seemed like such an extension of his personality — it was warm and inviting  
and friendly. She felt a rush of new guilt about how she had treated him since she had  
been back home. She knew that she had hurt him, and it hurt her to think about this —  
now that he was gone. There had always been that look in his eyes when she had dared to  
look at him directly. A look that told her that no matter how strong and physically  
invulnerable he may have seemed, he was also very vulnerable to being hurt… by her.  
Seeing the remnants of his life just hit it all home even more for her.  
There were pictures –pictures of his parents, pictures of his good friends. It was clear he  
was very integrated tightly into the lives of others — he was a man who chose to live  
connected to those around him. That was in contrast to her tendency to try to isolate  
herself — not wishing to be hurt by rejection, she often chose to not rely on people. Even  
before her awful experience, trust never came easily for her. He, on the other hand, was  
an open book with those he trusted. After his alien origins became known, he had to be  
much more careful about who he could trust — there were so many people out there who  
wanted to hurt or exploit him — but it was obvious that he had developed some very  
close ties to people like Perry and Alice White, and the Daily Planet team.  
She picked up one picture — a picture of him as a child — standing with his parents — a  
beautiful smile on his boyish face. He looked so happy — so loved. He was close to the  
age at which he had lost his parents. A lump grew in her throat as she thought of his  
youthful innocence — his unawareness that his life was going to change in such a  
devastatingly sad way. And then she thought of all those pictures she had seen of him  
after their deaths — the bleak and lost look in his eyes. She ached anew as she thought of  
the pain he had felt, and then of how she had sought to give him even more pain.  
<<He didn’t deserve it. He wasn’t Kal-El — I had no right.>>  
And yet, through her guilt, she knew that in the early days she had felt that what she was  
doing was right. And she felt that he knew it too — and that he understood, despite the  
pain it must have caused him.  
<<Rest in peace, Clark. I hope so much that you’re with your parents — both sets — and  
that you are at peace.>>  
<<Now, I have to focus. I’m here to find that briefcase, and that’s what I’m going to do. I  
think Clark obviously wanted me to find this — to come here — in the case of his death —  
otherwise, why would he have taken the trouble to give me access to his apartment.  
Trying to protect me from Lex. Always the hero — I guess — to the very end — and even  
in death. Well — Clark — help me out! Where did you put it? How can I possibly make use  
of this information if I can’t find it?>>  
She went into what appeared to be a den, and started looking through file cabinets. Surely  
he had hidden it somewhere that wasn’t too obvious.  
She gingerly exited the den after her search turned up empty, and contemplated the  
closed door of his bedroom. Steeling herself for the onslaught of terrible memories, her  
hand closed on the doorknob and started to turn it. She stopped suddenly as she heard  
the sound of movement within.  
<<Oh god — there’s someone here!>>  
Fearing that Lex had beaten her to the punch, she decided to turn tail and get out of there  
as fast as she could. She rushed to the door. Before she could escape her arm was  
captured by a viselike grip. Before she could even think, another hand came firmly up  
against her mouth muting any sound she might make. She couldn’t free herself from the  
grip and her struggles were useless.  
<<Lex! Oh god! It’s Lex — he’s here — he’s — >>  
"You aren’t going anywhere."  
That voice. She knew that voice. It wasn’t Lex. It was… it was… Kal-El!  
<<No! No – not him! Not now – there’s nobody to help me – nobody to save me!  
Superman! Help! Where are you? I need you now, I need you now! Help! Oh god – there’s  
nobody to help me – nobody – I won’t go back! I won’t go back there! He’ll have to kill me  
first! I won’t go back! How did he get here? Why is he here in Clark’s apartment? I won’t  
go back! How can I stop him from taking me back? I can’t – oh god, I can’t – I can’t take it  
– this just isn’t happening! No! I can’t go back to that! I can’t! If I fight – he might kill me –  
that’s my only chance – oblivion is preferable – I was going to die anyway, so what  
difference does it really make how? I have to make him kill me. So fight back already.  
Come on – yell at him. Fight – struggle. Tell him he’s a nothing. Make him mad… But…  
but I don’t want to die – and I definitely don’t want to die in any way he would choose to  
kill me. I’d rather die because of Nightfall – not being burned to death by heat vision, or  
beaten to death. Or… any number of other ways he could think of to kill me. He’s not the  
nothing. I am. I’m just a slave. A nothing. A nobody. A nameless nobody. >>  
Stricken with despair, her entire body sagged in defeat, and she gave into the rush of  
emotion that overtook her. Her cries were that of someone who had lost everything and  
had nothing left to lose.  
<<She’s crying? Why is she crying? I understand that I scared her – but she broke into my  
apartment. At least, I think this is my apartment. It seems that my instincts were right —  
there are all these pictures with me in them. I don’t see any indications that a woman lives  
here too — and if we both lived here together she wouldn’t be so frightened. Was she  
behind what happened to me? Is she reacting this way because her plan to kill me failed? I  
should be angry. I should feel threatened, but all I want to do is make her feel better.>>  
Fighting back a very strong urge to somehow try to soothe her fears, he removed his hand  
from her mouth and turned her to face him. Her eyes were screwed tightly shut, and it  
was clear that her fear and emotion were genuine. She was shaking violently, and her  
head was bowed. She was acting like someone who clearly expected to be hurt or killed.  
"Please… open your eyes," he spoke softly. Despite all his suspicions and misgivings, her  
behavior was wringing out a painful and protective response in him. He felt oddly drawn  
to her and driven to protect her – to comfort her – to end her current state of distress.  
She stiffened even further.  
<<Please? Kal-El never says please. Or did he? Did he ever say please? To taunt me? To  
torment me by reminding me even further that I never had a choice? What kind of game is  
he playing? No – no – don’t open those eyes. Don’t look at him.>>  
"I need you to look at me."  
That sounded more like a directive. A command. Her heart beating very hard and  
painfully, she conditioned herself to open her eyes – to cast her gaze on a face that she  
hated more than anything else in the world. As she thought that, it struck her how she  
didn’t feel that way looking at Clark. It was amazing how a man’s personality could so  
shape his face into something to be feared or something to be admired. Not that she had  
ever admired his face, but she knew that many women did, and for good reason. He had  
been a good-looking man with a kindly demeanor. As she thought of Clark, likely  
spinning dead in space, new tears threatened. He was the only one who could have saved  
her, and now he was dead. It was hopeless… hopeless.  
He sighed in impatience. Maybe this was a game – he didn’t know – but it wasn’t amusing,  
and he wasn’t getting anywhere. Without even realizing it, he tightened his already painful  
grip on her arms, causing her to cry out a strangled sound of pain.  
"Please," she cried out as she felt the pressure on her arms increase. "Please – I – I’ll do  
what you say – please – don’t!"  
<<Don’t what? Am I hurting her? How can I be hurting her? I’m hardly exerting any  
pressure at all – just enough to keep her from escaping. Unless I don’t know my own  
strength – but I’m hardly – I’m not even exerting any effort!>>  
"Open your eyes." He repeated his request again. Maybe if she looked at him, he would  
get his memory back – he would know who she was, why she was here and why she – or  
someone else – had tried to kill him.  
Once again. A command. An imperative. Coldly delivered. Her heart pounding hard in her  
throat, she fought back the waves of terror and nausea and forced her recalcitrant eyes to  
do as he asked.  
<<Comply. I have to comply. Otherwise… he’ll hurt me. I have to do this. >>  
Very gingerly, she opened her eyes and focused fearfully on the man in front of her. She  
inhaled sharply as she saw him there – not just there – there and in a complete state of  
undress.  
<<No! Not that! Not that – not ever again!>>  
Some fierce and primeval instinct took control of her body and forced her to act. She had  
to get away from him. Now… Immediately, she started to pull away from him – his grip  
was too strong for her to escape, but she strained against it with all her might. She  
strained so hard, she thought her arms would break or that her shoulders would pop out  
of their sockets. She buckled at the waist, trying to twist down and out of his grasp, and  
her breath was coming in short and panicked gasps.  
"No! No!" It was a frantic cry – all pleading gone. She was acting on pure instinct and  
adrenaline at this point.  
Clark was shocked and stunned by her behavior. What had happened to catapult her to  
this level of terror? Briefly he looked down and realized with a start that he hadn’t had a  
chance to throw on clothes after the shower he had taken. He had heard the noises she  
was making and had come out to apprehend the intruder without even giving his nudity a  
second thought. But she was giving it a second thought. It obviously terrified her. Was it  
possible – was he the intruder? Did she think he was a rapist? It didn’t make sense – all  
evidence pointed to this being his apartment.  
<<Did – did she try to kill me because I hurt her in the past? Am I a bad guy? Why would  
she come here then? What was she looking for? Do I have something of hers? I need to get  
some clothes on, and quick! Then – I need some answers.>>  
"Look – look – would you calm down?" His voice was quieter and more soothing. But it was  
to no avail – she didn’t even seem to hear him. "I’m not going to hurt you – I’m not going  
to do anything to you – I just want answers! I – oh – the heck with it!"


	4. Chapter 4

In exasperation at his inability to break through her haze of terror, he let go of one of her  
arms and with his hand still holding her other arm, pulled her towards the direction of his  
bedroom where his clothes were. He couldn’t leave her alone – alone to escape – not  
before he had some badly needed answers. His actions had the effect of spurring her on  
into a more furious struggle with him, and she began to beg.  
"Just – just kill me! Kill me- I – I won’t ever go back there – never again! You’ll have to kill  
me! I won’t go back! I won’t go through that again – not again – no! Don’t do this to me!"  
Badly shaken by her behavior, he dragged her into his room and shut the door. He stood  
there for a few seconds, trying to get his own tumultuous emotions under control all the  
while, listening to her beg. Right now he was feeling very guilty and also very scared.  
Something very bad was going on – and he had no idea how he found himself in the  
middle of it. What had he ever done to this woman here to make her act like this? Or…  
was it someone else who had hurt her? Had she been badly hurt by another man, and was  
this bringing it all back for her?  
<<But this is my home. I’m not an intruder here – why would she break in to someone’s  
apartment if she wasn’t ready to deal with running into that person?>>  
He tried to reason with her through her frantic please. "Look – I – it’s not what you think –  
I just need to get some clothes!"  
She continued to plead unheedingly… it was as if nothing he said made any difference.  
Nothing he said could penetrate the thick layers of fear that surrounded her mind. He  
looked around frantically for some way to keep her from escaping while he threw on  
clothes, and then he saw the bathroom door. It seemed an ideal location as there were no  
windows leading outside – she couldn’t leave the bathroom without him knowing it. He  
pulled her towards the bathroom and gently pushed her through the doorway. Then he let  
go of her arm, and shut the door.  
"I’ll – I’ll just throw on some clothes! Please calm down. I’m not going to hurt you, you  
have to calm down!" His voice was desperate now – he was working hard to keep himself  
from having a breakdown.  
<<What the hell is going on here? >>  
Very quickly he threw on some clothes and then rushed over to the bathroom door and  
opened it. She was furiously hunting through the drawers, and he watched her,  
mesmerized by curiosity for a few moments.  
"What…what are you looking for?" He asked worriedly.  
She whirled around holding a utility blade. She held it up to her throat, and he felt time  
suddenly stand still.  
<<Oh god. She’s going to kill herself! But why? Why? What… what is going on with her? Is  
she on drugs? Did she come here looking for drugs?>>  
"Please – please – don’t do that!" His voice was frantic and urgent.  
"I’ll die before I go back!" She screamed at him in fear and rage, her eyes glazed with the  
combination of fear and bravado. She was trembling violently.  
"Go back… where?" He tried to key off of what she was saying to get her to focus on what  
he was saying.  
"Back – there! To your world – to that place – to – "  
She stopped talking as she really focused on him for the first time since she had opened  
her eyes.  
<<This isn’t him! It’s not Kal-El. Why does he look like Clark? Can it be? Can it be Clark?  
But why – why is he here? Pretending to be dead? I don’t get this? Is this Kal-El? Or Clark?  
>>  
For a long, long moment the two stood staring at each other. He could hear her labored  
breathing slowly ease into a more comfortable cadence, and saw some of the wild-animal  
fear leave her eyes.  
<<That’s strange. Even if she thought I was going to rape her – would putting on my  
clothes really make her suddenly stop thinking that? >>  
"Clark?" Her voice was tentative, and very small.  
Remembering that he had to get some answers from her, he tried to adopt a more stern  
demeanor. "What are you doing in my apartment," he asked aggressively.  
He needed to maintain the upper hand, even if it meant acting in a menacing fashion. He  
quickly stifled down his rising sense of guilt as he saw the renewed fear in her eyes.  
<<Why is he acting like this? Is this Kal-El? It can’t be – this isn’t his apartment? Is this a  
joke? A nightmare? The twilight zone? Oh god – what if this is another universe – different  
even from the other two.>>  
Cursing himself silently, he grasped her shoulders once again, forcing himself to ignore  
her frightened gasp and her instinctive shrinking-away. At least he hoped it was fear and  
not pain. His grip wasn’t very tight – so he surely wasn’t hurting her.  
"Answer the question!" He shook her briefly, using as little force as possible, but it had  
the effect of making her cry out again.  
"You’re – hurting me – please… please let go!" She was gambling furiously that this wasn’t  
Kal-El. Kal-El would have struck her now for daring to presume to tell him what to do.  
"I need answers. You’re in my apartment – you’re clearly an intruder – I’m not letting you  
go until you answer my questions. What are you doing here?" His voice was cold and  
angry.  
"I – you really – you’re really hurting me… you’re going to break my arms – please!"  
"I’m hardly holding you at all," he scoffed at her attempt at gaining sympathy. "I’m not  
playing your game, Miss – I don’t know what you’re doing here, but I’m going to find out.  
And until I do – you aren’t going anywhere."  
Despite his words, he loosened his hold until he saw the look of pain ease from her face.  
Maybe he had hurt her – maybe she was just overly frail or sensitive.  
"I won’t…" her voice trailed off.  
<<Miss? Did he call me ‘Miss’?>>  
"Don’t you know… who I am?"  
"I want to know why you’re here. You still haven’t answered that."  
<<Damn it! I slipped up! She knows now – or at least -suspects – that something’s wrong  
with me.>>  
"I – I came for the briefcase," she said warily.  
<<Please let me go, please let me go, please let me go! I can’t stand being touched –  
please let me go!>>  
"And you decided to break in? Wait until you thought nobody was here?"  
"No! I – I – I didn’t expect to find you here -but – the guard said that I was on the list –  
that it was okay to come up here – he gave me the key. I didn’t break in!"  
<<Although, that was my original intent! But please let me go!>>  
He looked at her in confusion, his brows knitted together as he tried to extract a single  
iota of sense out of her words. From the sounds of it, it seemed as if she was here with  
his permission. Then why was she acting all terrified? It didn’t add up. If they were friends  
or allies of some sort, wouldn’t she have been relieved that the man who grabbed her  
turned out to be him?  
"I don’t believe you. Try again." He watched her carefully to see if her physical response to  
his statement would reveal if she were really lying.  
She stared at him for a long while. The truth of the situation slowly dawning.  
"You don’t know who I am," she whispered in shock. "You probably don’t even know who  
you are."  
He looked away for a moment, torn. And then he turned back, resigned now to telling her  
everything.  
"Okay. You’re right. I don’t. I don’t know who you are. All I know is that someone tried to  
kill me – and then I get to the place that I think is my home – that all the evidence points  
to as being my home – and there’s an intruder that comes into my home. A woman who  
doesn’t live here, and from the looks of it, isn’t exactly too thrilled to have found me at  
home. I’m pretty sure that you aren’t my girlfriend or my wife by your reactions."  
She shook her head violently. "No. Not that. But not your enemy either! Please – you can  
let me go. I won’t … I won’t run away. Please." Her voice was intense, and she forced  
herself to look him right in the eye.  
<<Please let me go. I can’t bear it – I can’t stand it – it’s bringing it all back – the pain, the  
fear, the horror – I can’t – I can’t cope with it! Please just let me go!>>  
They locked gazes for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally, he let out an exasperated  
exhalation and released her. "I have pretty fast reflexes. I’m pretty sure I can stop you  
from leaving." His voice was cold and full of warning.  
"I – I know."  
<<Believe me. I know. More than I could ever tell you – I know. I’m not leaving until you  
let me leave.>>  
She rubbed her arms as soon as he released her. He noted her reaction and felt another  
stab of remorse.  
<<I hurt her. I must have hurt her. She wasn’t lying. At least about that.>>  
"Did… did I really hurt you? I- I’m sorry – I didn’t think I was holding you that tightly."  
"Yes," she said quietly. "You did. You are much stronger than you know. I have… a lot to  
tell you. But you might find it unbelievable. First, and most importantly – nobody tried to  
kill you."  
"Oh – so I just happened to trip and fall into this huge molten crater, pass out, and lose  
my memory?" His expression held scorn and disbelief.  
<<Miss whoever you are. I’m not an idiot.>>  
She stared at him, stupefied. He had fallen to the Earth like a meteor, burrowing deep into  
the ground. He had survived that. He must have impacted with the asteroid and been  
flung back home by the force. But he survived that. And if he survived it, it meant that  
there was a plan C – if she could get him to remember what he could do – he could go out  
and stop the rest of the asteroid… a much smaller piece. If could handle the big asteroid  
without getting killed, surely he could handle the smaller piece! And this time, they would  
know to look for him on Earth if he lost contact with EPRAD.  
"Hello? Earth to… what *is* your name, anyway?"  
"Uh – Lois. Lois Lane. Does… does that ring any bells?" Her voice was hopeful.  
"None. None at all," he answered in frustration.  
"Okay. I… I know what happened to you. It wasn’t… it wasn’t an attempt on your life. But  
you – you have to tell me – do you know anything about yourself? Anything at all?"  
"Other than the fact that my name is Clark, and that I live here … nothing."  
"Can… I turn on the TV? I want… I want to show you something. I’m thinking you’re far  
more likely to believe what you see on the news than you to believe it if I tell you."  
"Okay." Suspiciously and guardedly he watched as she gingerly stepped over to the  
television and turned it on. There was a special report underway on just about every  
channel – talking about the asteroid and the missing hero.  
He watched the news in silence never betraying any hint of what he must have been  
feeling on his face. He still didn’t trust her. If she wasn’t an enemy, why did she make him  
feel so jumpy and unsettled? Although he wasn’t really feeling all that jumpy now – his  
feelings of being menaced seemed to have peaked during her panic attacks. Maybe he  
was just feeding off of her fear.  
"Uh… thoughts?" She interrupted his silent reverie.  
"That man. The one they are looking for – the … the one who can fly. That’s… that’s me?"  
His voice held a tone of disbelief.  
"Yes."  
"I’m … not human? I’m an extra-terrestrial?"  
"Yes."  
"And I can fly?"  
"Yes."  
"I… I flew out into space and did something that broke the asteroid into smaller pieces?"  
"It appears so. I think that’s what sent you hurtling back to Earth. You must have hit that  
thing with an amazing amount of force – and – and…" she stopped talking, as she realized  
that he wasn’t really listening to her anymore. He seemed to have forgotten to be wary  
around her, and he had wandered away from her, looking lost.  
"Then I’m an alien? A … freak…who…" his voice trailed off. He stood silently for a long  
while, clearly distressed by the revelation.  
"You’re a hero – a superhero – who tried to save the Earth," she said softly. "Whatever else  
you may feel you are – I don’t think freak really describes it."  
"And I have these powers? This strength? This unbelievable strength, which let me break  
an asteroid into pieces." He turned to her, remorse deeply etched into his stricken face. "I  
really was hurting you, wasn’t I? It wasn’t an act… I almost… I almost broke your arms.  
You probably have bruises…"  
"Please… it isn’t important right now." She spoke hastily, fearing he would try to look for  
those bruises. She simply couldn’t bear it right now if he touched her again. Without even  
realizing it, she had hastily backed away a few steps.  
<<Right. Not important. Yet – she’s terrified of me. I hurt her, and she’s terrified. What  
kind of a man… no – not a man. What kind of alien am I that I would trigger this kind of  
reaction in her? I can’t be a very benevolent one. Why do they call me a hero, if people like  
Lois are terrified of me?>>  
"It’s okay," he said softly. Trying to be as reassuring as possible. "I – promise not to hurt  
you again."  
"I know that. You didn’t know. It makes sense that you wouldn’t know," she said hastily,  
her eyes no longer in contact with his.  
<<Okay. I get it. Change the subject. Will do. >>  
"There are six hours until the launch of the rocket. I think – that it’s a dangerous plan.  
The asteroid is close enough that the nuclear fallout could be dangerous – at least that’s  
what the scientist said. In addition – there will definitely be a problem with the pieces of  
the broken asteroid hitting the Earth. I need to get my memory back so that I can stop this  
thing safely."  
"Can – do you really need you memory back? Can’t you just… do it? You seem to still have  
your powers."  
"But – I don’t know how to fly. I don’t. I keep trying to will myself to float up to the ceiling,  
but I can’t seem to make it happen. I think it has to be some kind of conscious act… and  
since I don’t really remember being this Superman, I don’t know how to do certain things.  
Kind of like a mental block."  
"So – we have to get you your memory back," she mused.  
"And I have a strange feeling that you are a key factor in that  
happening," he said regretfully, having fully picked up on her reluctance to being  
anywhere near him.  
"That means…"  
"Until I get my memory back… you and I are going to have to … stick together. I … hope  
that’s okay with you."  
As his words sank in, she felt an immediate inward shrinking from the duty ahead of her.  
<<How can I possibly do this? Spend so much time with him? Be with him? Talk to him?  
Act normal around him? And the price of my failure is the end of the world? Yea. Right. No  
pressure there. Am I just supremely unlucky, or are the fates really just out to get me? He  
says that we’re stuck together. What would happen if I tried to leave? Would he force me  
to stay? Am I a prisoner? His prisoner? >>  
Worriedly, he watched her. She hadn’t spoken for a few minutes and he was getting  
nervous.  
<<Well? What are you going to do? I know the answer lies in you. I don’t know how I  
know, but I am getting a very strong vibe off of you – I know you can help me, and I doubt  
anyone else can. Something very strange is going on between us, and until I know what it  
is, I’m afraid I’ll never know who I am. I can’t afford that luxury – I need to get back to  
being me so that I can stop this thing from destroying the world. From destroying us all.  
But what if you say ‘no’? What do I do then? >>  
Unable to take it anymore, he finally prompted her for an answer.  
"Uh – so … do you… agree? To …uh… stay with me and help me figure this out?"  
The nervousness and humility in his tone caught her completely off guard. Startled, she  
looked up at him in undisguised disbelief.  
"You … mean … I have a choice," she asked in a small and frightened voice. Even as the  
words left her lips, she cursed herself for asking them.  
"Of course you do! Why would… Yeah. Look. I’m sorry. I know … I scared you earlier. I  
didn’t let you leave, and I … hurt you."  
<<Of course she thinks you would force her to stay. You stupid oaf. She has the bruises  
to prove that her being here is completely against her will.>>  
She looked away abruptly. "No – no – it’s okay – really -"  
<<Let’s not talk about that. Please?>>  
<<Why does it bother her to talk about this?>>  
"Lois… I just wanted to say that I won’t do it again. Hold you back… or – uh – hurt you in  
any way. If you want to leave, you really are free to go. Honestly. But – I do have to say  
that I don’t think I can get my memories back without your help. Something tells me that  
it has to be you. I don’t understand why I feel that way, but given the urgency of the  
situation… at this point, I’m not willing to go second guess my gut feelings. If you say  
no…I’ll obviously have to go get help elsewhere."  
"No. No – that isn’t necessary. I’ll – I’ll stay," she answered him quietly, unwillingly forcing  
herself to give him a quick flash of eye contact.  
Relief washed over him in waves. "Oh, thank god. No. Thank you. Thank you so much."  
"It’s okay. Really. No big deal – it’s not like you’ve asked me to go fly out there and stop  
this thing. You’re the one doing the whole personal sacrifice – life-on-the-line thing. I’m  
just along to help. I’m sorry if I’ve seemed reluctant. I’m just a little shaken up by what’s  
going on here… uh – you know – the world about to end. That’s enough to upset anyone,  
right?"  
<<But that isn’t really why you’re so nervous around me, is it?>>  
"Yea. It sure is. How do you think we should proceed?"  
She lapsed back into silence, thinking over his question. How should they proceed? The  
task ahead of her seemed so daunting and insurmountable. How could she handle this —  
this monumental responsibility coupled with her intense desire to be as far away from him  
as possible.  
<<Oh god. What if I can’t do this? What if I can’t?>>  
"I think… I think you can. I think that we can," he responded quickly to what he thought  
was her fear of failure. Startled, she looked up at him, her eyes confused and frightened.  
"What?"  
"You… you said — you asked … what if you couldn’t … what… what is it?" He looked at  
her in genuine confusion. Her expression was equally confused — did he imagine that she  
had said something?  
"I… I didn’t… say that."  
"You didn’t? What did you say?"  
"I didn’t say anything. Well… I guess… one of your powers, you know — it’s uh — it’s  
telepathy." She couldn’t meet his gaze. Telepathy had been used by his doppelganger to  
torment her on many occasions. It was impossible to talk about this with him without  
letting her feelings of fear and repulsion show in her face.  
"Telepathy? Yikes. Well — at least it’s working. That’s kind of a good sign. Though — I  
haven’t been picking up your other thoughts… funny how that one came through. It did  
sound like you had been speaking in my head, now that I think about it. Wow — that’s not  
exactly a way to win friends, is it? I mean — talk about invasion of privacy. Doesn’t it  
bother people …knowing that I have the ability to read their innermost thoughts?"  
"Uh … not too many people know about it."  
"Really?"  
"Yea. About a handful."  
"Including you…"  
"Yea. So uh – how about we – uh – go into the living room. It’s kind of … claustrophobic in  
here."  
Looking around briefly, he remembered that they were standing in his bedroom. The  
events of the evening flickered guiltily through his brain, and another apology bubbled to  
the surface. He had dragged her in here, kicking and screaming – and she had clearly  
feared the worse. She was willing to die rather than… What had happened to change her  
perspective so quickly? Who had she thought he was? Did he have a twin brother, maybe?  
An evil one? She didn’t seem terribly eager to discuss this, nor did she even want to hear  
his apologies. Valiantly, he suppressed the urge to apologize, and offered her a disarming  
and somewhat sheepish grin.  
"That sounds like a good idea." He turned quickly and headed to the door, opening it and  
letting her get out ahead of him. "Listen. Are you hungry? How about some coffee?"  
"Um. Sure. Where do you keep your coffee stuff – I can -"  
"No – no! How rude would that be- I didn’t mean to ask you to make it for me! I’ll get it –  
you… uh… relax…"  
"No – really – I’ll – I don’t want you to go to any trouble –"  
"Please. I’m at your service. What do you want to eat – I seem to think I can cook, and  
there is a stocked kitchen here. I’m completely at your command. Your willing slave."  
Her face went pale white and she backed away a few steps. She reeled with the onslaught  
of memories tugging at the edges of her mind.  
<<No. Not yet. Not yet – not now. He needs me. I need me. We need to get through this.  
Not yet!>>  
"Did… did I say something wrong?" His voice was worried. Her reaction had been so  
unexpected and stark.  
<<What did I say?>>  
"No! No. I’m sorry. Shock – I guess. You know – end of the world? I’m just not feeling very  
well. I’ll just sit here – and wait for the coffee. I’m not really all that hungry." She gave him  
a brief smile that failed to even reach her eyes. Her expression was deeply troubled and  
haunted. She seemed to be begging him, with her eyes, to just move on past her  
momentary lapse in ‘normal’ behavior.  
"Okay – I’ll bring out the coffee and if you want anything to eat, you can just let me know.  
Please – I don’t want you to be uncomfortable or hungry – so just tell me."  
"I will. Thanks."  
His thoughts ran furiously through his mind as he got some much- needed space from  
the tension in the other room. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make the pieces  
fit properly. Her reactions were erratic and bizarre. It seemed like the oddest thing would  
set her off, and he had no idea why that was. Wearily, he played over the events from  
earlier in the day in his mind. She had been completely terrified when he first made his  
presence known to her.  
<<But you were rough. Angry. And you wouldn’t let her leave. She was at the mercy of a  
really ticked-off super-being. Wouldn’t that scare anyone? But if I were supposedly this  
decent guy who occasionally saves lives…why would she think that I would hurt her?  
Maybe she figured I didn’t know my own strength and that I would hurt her unwittingly.  
And that might account for her initial fear… but then, why didn’t she just tell me who I  
was? And later, why did she think I was going to rape her? I’m sure that’s what she  
thought. How could she think that? Even without my memory, I wouldn’t suddenly turn  
into someone else. Would I? Does that happen? Even then — why didn’t she tell me? And  
how come she reacted so differently when she came out? Was it the fact that by putting on  
my clothes, I had indicated that I wasn’t going to hurt her? But it seemed as though she  
finally… I don’t know — she finally recognized me. It’s as if she thought I was someone  
else. It keeps coming back to that. Who did she think I was? Why would putting on clothes  
suddenly change who she thought I was? It doesn’t add up? Well… coffee’s ready. I’d  
better go out there and start trying to figure it all out.>>  
"Here’s your coffee," he said in a tone which he hoped was completely non-threatening. "I  
hate to sound like a broken record, but if you want anything else — you’ll tell me? Please?"  
"Yes. Yes… I will. I promise."  
He smiled at her. "I’m going to hold you to that." His voice was gently teasing.  
<<Why does he have to be so nice?>>  
"Okay! So… I thought we could start with my telling you about who you are. Do you think  
that’s a good idea?"  
"Yes. A decent way to start off."  
Encouraged, she started in on the story of his life as she knew it. She felt a sense of irony  
that she was an expert in his life due to her earlier mission to expose him for the threat  
she had felt him to be. She had started her project with the intent of hurting him, and now  
she was using the spoils of that work to help him. To help herself. To save the world. She  
kept her voice as steady and even as possible and tried not to put in any of their  
interpersonal history into her tale. It seemed unnecessary to her to go into that kind of  
detail. He interrupted a few times to ask some specific questions in reaction to things that  
she had said, but for the most part, was a quiet and attentive listener.  
She was surprised at how easy it was to talk to him about this. Her initial nervousness and  
unwillingness to meet his eyes diminished as she got further into her recital. Dressed as  
he was, he seemed as far from Kal-El at this moment as he could be. Additionally, she  
could tell he was trying very hard not to spook her in any way. His movements were slow  
and careful, and he gave her plenty of personal space. He didn’t try to touch her in any  
way at all.  
When she was done with her narrative she finished by asking if he had anymore  
questions. He shook his head, as if to clear out some of his whirling thoughts.  
"That’s… quite a … story."  
"Yes. It is a bit hard to believe, isn’t it? But it’s true. This is who you are. This is… well —  
what you are."  
"An alien. A freak … a misfit."  
"Yes. But also… A hero. A man willing to stop an asteroid with his own body to save a  
planet. You probably could have found a way to escape the Earth’s fate. Instead, you  
chose to put your own life on the line. If that makes you a freak and a misfit, then that’s a  
good way to be freakish, I guess."  
"I just… I guess… I wish… it –"  
"Go on," she spoke softly and encouragingly, drawn in by his wistful demeanor.  
"I wish I wasn’t all alone in the world. I’m an orphan twice over. I know — sounds pathetic.  
I’m an adult, I can take care of myself… but I guess — I feel like I was close to my earth  
parents. I get the sense that family means a lot to me. I wish that – well — at the very  
least — that my first family — my people — hadn’t died like that. I wish I weren’t the last  
of my kind. Maybe I wish others like me had been sent here. So I wouldn’t be so alone."  
She fought to keep her reaction from her face.  
<<Thank GOD you are the last of your kind. >> "Then again," he continued his musings,  
not noticing anything odd about her reaction, "maybe it’s a good thing I was sent here  
alone. My parents must have been remarkable people to give me the values that would  
prevent me from abusing the powers that I have. Unstoppable power can be dangerous,  
and if others had been sent here as well — maybe they might not have gotten as lucky as I  
did. If someone with less than stellar values had found me, or any other foundling  
Kryptonian child, they could have raised a monster."  
She was unable to stop herself from reacting, and so she got up quickly and turned away  
from him.  
"Uh — I’ll be right back. Um. Too — too much coffee!"  
"Oh! Sure. No problem."  
"One moment. I won’t be long."  
She rushed as fast as she could without appearing indecorous.  
<<Keep your cool. Don’t wig out now. Come on. I have to do this. Get through this.  
Survive this. I’m a survivor. I’ve survived far worse. A lot of people… a lot of women…  
would be lining up to be here, in my place, spending so much time with him. But I can’t…  
how can I — how can we do this? He’s treading on dangerous ground, and if he doesn’t  
stop, I’m going to explode. It won’t be pretty, and I don’t know what I’ll do or say. I don’t  
want that to happen. No. Not now, and not ever. I can’t lose control! I can’t let those  
memories, those feelings — I can’t let them in. They will consume me! Control me — and  
if they do — I don’t know if I’ll ever be sane again. I don’t want to slip into madness! I’ve  
tried so hard not to — to lose control! And what use am I to him, if I turn into a gibbering  
idiot? The world will end if I can’t get it together!>>  
She forced herself to take care of business and return back to her place on the couch. She  
had a job to do, and she meant to do it.  
"Did… did I say something…"  
<<What scared you — what made you run away?>>  
"No. Really. Uh- you were talking about… "  
"Nothing. I was just feeling sorry for myself. Not a worthwhile way to spend our valuable  
time."  
A rush of pity enveloped her. She remembered the grief on his young features in many of  
the photographs she had seen of him as a child. Losing the Kents had devastated him,  
and likely he had never really gotten over it.  
"I’m… sorry. I know it had to have hurt to lose your parents. It has to be … just awful…  
knowing you’ll never see your loved ones again."  
<<Careful. Getting too hot in here.>>  
"You sound like you’ve been there. Are your parents…"  
"Oh. No! They’re still alive. I — I’ve never lost anyone like that. I guess I was just  
imagining how I would feel. And of course, the other thing — surviving the death of your  
home world. That — well — it just defies all imagination. I’m sorry."  
"Oh. It’s okay. I mean — I don’t remember the Kents, and I don’t remember my Kryptonian  
parents. I feel sorry for them — for dying — and maybe I feel sorry for who I was before I  
lost m memories. But I’m okay in the here-and-now."  
"Did… did anything I say make you remember anything? Any flashes? Hints? Nudges?"  
"No. Not even the tiniest of memories. God!" He exclaimed in irritation as he stood up  
restlessly. "This is so aggravating!"  
His sudden movements had startled her but she managed to restrain her response.  
"Maybe… I have an idea. Maybe you could look at the internet. Look up yourself in a  
search engine and do some web-surfing."  
"I have no idea what you’re talking about."  
"You don’t remember the internet?"  
"No, and I don’ think right now is a good time to go surfing."  
"I didn’t mean on the waves — oh. You’re joking. But you don’t know what I’m talking  
about, do you?"  
"No."  
"The internet is a world-wide connection of computers. Web- surfing refers to a specific  
way of using the internet to find information. At least — that’s the layperson’s view. I’m  
sure a techie could give you a more accurate definition."  
"No need for that. So I can use the computer to find information out about myself? Stuff  
people have stored on their computers?"  
"Yes."  
"Will I find anything useful? Is there anything out there beyond what you’ve told me?"  
"Believe me. There is plenty. You’ll see. Do you have a computer?"  
"I don’t know."  
"Hmmm. Maybe… um…"  
<<Damn it! I’ll bet it’s in the bedroom. >>  
She turned in the direction of his bedroom door and tried to peer into the darkness to see  
if she could find his computer.  
"I can bring it out here," he said, following her gaze and figuring she didn’t want to go  
back in there with him.  
"No! No — that’s just a big waste of time. Come on, I’ll show you how to get started." Lois.  
<<Get a grip on yourself. He needs your help. You can do this.>>  
He looked at her carefully, trying not to be too obvious about the fact that he was  
desperately trying to read her expression.  
"What? What is it?" She asked the question before she could stop herself from speaking.  
He had been looking at her oddly, and she had been driven by curiosity to know what he  
was thinking.  
"I… can… can I ask you a question?"  
"Uh…sure. Of course. Anything."  
"You… you and I. What… are we … were we…. We were friends?"  
Relief surged through her. She had been sure that the final word was going to be lovers.  
She didn’t know how she would have possibly been able to keep the distaste and fear  
from her face had he said that.  
"Well. Not… not really."  
His face fell and she felt an absurd urge to revoke her words and assure him that they had  
been the best of friends. What was it about this man that made her feel… loathe to hurt  
his feelings? Writing those articles had been easy because she didn’t have to see him face  
to face. Now that they were in such close quarters, she was beginning to see where all the  
loyalty and protectiveness that his friends showed him had come from. He was open and  
honest, and he seemed to wear a lot of his heart on his sleeve. It made her uncomfortably  
aware of the many times Perry had hinted that he had been hurt by her articles.  
"Oh."  
His tone was bleak and it tugged at her conscience.  
<<Damn you, Clark! Stop making me feel badly about this!>>  
Startled he looked up at her. "Did… did you say something?"  
Equally startled, she shook her head rapidly.  
<<Dear god. I forgot about the whole telepathy thing. How could I ever have forgotten  
that?>>  
"I thought … well — never mind. Can you show me how to use the computer now?"  
"Wait!"  
He stopped his forward motion towards the bedroom, and turned to look at her  
quizzically.  
<<Not Kal-El. He’s looking at me with that not-Kal-El expression of his. Deer in the  
headlights. Damn him for being so unlike Kal- El. >>  
"I’m… I — we aren’t friends — because we hardly know each other. We aren’t… rivals or  
enemies. Just two people who don’t really know each other."  
His brow crinkled in confusion as he took in her words. She seemed to be holding  
something back, but her gaze was level, indicating that it wasn’t an outright lie.  
<<Not enemies, at least. That’s something. Isn’t it?>>  
She took in a deep and resolute breath and let it out in a weary exhalation. "I’m also a  
reporter. And I work for the Daily Planet."  
"Where I used to work."  
"Yes. You stopped working there before I went back. I used to work there- before you  
even came to Metropolis. But then… I went away for a while. And when I came back… well  
— that’s when I met you. We haven’t really spent a lot of time in each other’s company."  
<<Because I usually act like a complete ninny whenever you’re around.>>  
"We have a lot of friends in common though. My mentor and closest friend considers you  
to be another son."  
"So we’re kind of like brother and sister then," he said, trying to be lighthearted. "If he’s  
your mentor, likely he thinks of you as a daughter."  
She smiled. "Yea. And maybe I’ve been a bit jealous about it. Dad seems to be giving you  
more of his attention these days."  
"I’m sorry." He said the words with deep sincerity, making her feel further like a heel.  
<<You really are, aren’t you?>>  
"It’s okay. I’m a big girl. Anything… anything else? Uh — you still seem to have something  
that you want to ask me."  
<<Lois! Leave it alone, already! Don’t encourage him.>>  
"Well… I guess…. There’s something about you. Something… you … being with you  
somehow… it feels right. You know — when you were talking to me earlier about who I  
am — I felt — well — I felt this sense of peace. That if the world were going to end, it was  
almost okay — that I was maybe going to die — but at least I was with someone that I… I  
…. I don’t know — you just make me feel a sense of rightness. It doesn’t make sense. I  
don’t even know what I’m saying. I guess — I thought maybe we had been friends. Maybe  
that’s why you felt so …right… to me."  
<<What is he saying? Is he in love with me? >>  
"You… thought I was behind some grand plot to kill you — uh — earlier."  
"Yea. I — I feel kind of like an idiot about that now," he said  
sheepishly dropping his gaze from hers. Her words brought back his embarrassment, his  
shame and remorse at his behavior. "I — I’m sorry –"  
"No. I wasn’t asking for an apology. I just wanted to – you know — it doesn’t matter. I  
guess — I was trying to point out that — it was an incongruity."  
"Well… I didn’t know who I was, who you were, and I guess your initial reaction just made  
me think you were a potential enemy. But I did back down from that belief pretty quickly. I  
think I sensed in you something … good… something right. And I guess I wasn’t sure why  
I would feel so strongly like that if we weren’t friends. Odd to feel that way about a  
stranger. Also — you know about my telepathy, and you said it wasn’t public knowledge."  
"Well, I am a really good reporter," she prevaricated, feeling guilty at the deliberate  
mendacity in her implication.  
"Yeah. I guess that’s it."  
"Come on. I’ll show you how to get on the internet."  
They entered his bedroom and she very quickly showed him how to pull up a browser  
window and start searching.  
"I think I can take it from here," he said, picking up on her tension vibes from being in his  
bedroom.  
<<Something very bad has happened to this woman. She’s afraid of me — but maybe its  
just men that she’s afraid of, and so she’s afraid of me, because I’m a man. Her reaction  
to being in my room… somebody has hurt her — in a very ugly and horrible way. Whoever  
it is, he had just better hope I never get my hands on him. I wouldn’t kill a human — but I  
would make sure that he never hurt anyone again.>>  
Without being aware of it, his jaw had set at a rigid angle and his fists had clenched in  
anger.  
Right before her very eyes, his easy going expressions seemed to alchemically reform  
themselves into Lord Kal-El’s visage. It was as if he was standing here… somehow  
switching places with Clark. His expression was suddenly dark, rigid and angry, and his  
hands had curled into fists. Very powerful fists that could bring a great deal of pain.  
Unaware that she was even moving, she began to back away from him in startled fear.  
Noting her sudden movements, he transformed back into Clark. The monster was gone…  
at least … for now.  
<<Damn it! I’ve scared her again.>>  
"I’m sorry… I’m just frustrated. I’m just going to poke around here for a while… give me  
about 20-30 minutes. Is that okay?"  
"O – Okay. I’ll — I’ll just be out there. I have some calls to make."  
"Are you going to tell anyone I’m back? "  
"No. Not now. Not yet. Not unless you want me to. If you think we need outside help… but  
otherwise, it would only result in people coming down here to see you."  
"Good. It may come to that yet, but my instincts tell me it’s the wrong thing to do."  
"Then — I won’t do it."  
Left alone in his room, he started poking away at the search engine. He found a lot of  
information — too much information, in fact. It was overwhelming. There was so much  
out there, it was impossible to separate the garbage from the gold. There were cults out  
there convinced he was some kind of avatar of a higher being. There were a lot of  
pornography-oriented sites which he quickly passed over, not wanting to read about any  
place he might have in the sexual fantasies of others. There were also hundreds of news  
articles written by himself.  
He perused many of these news articles with a notable lack of enthusiasm when it finally  
occurred to him that he should look for articles written by Lois Lane. That might give him  
some insights into what kind of history he had had with this woman because although she  
had said that they didn’t really have a relationship, it seemed to be burning at the edges  
of his memories that there was something very real between them. Maybe not a friendship  
— but – there had to be something. Why else would he consider her to be the key to  
unlocking his memories?  
Feeling guilty about what he was about to do, he typed in: + "Lois Lane" +Superman into  
the search box, and then he hit the search button.  
<<Bingo. Articles — all written by Lois. About me… let’s look at this one. >>  
Eagerly he opened the document and began to read through it. His eagerness faded into  
dismay as he digested the intent behind her article.  
<<My god. This… she… hates me. She thinks I’m some kind of super- threat. >>  
He clicked on the rest of the links and skimmed them as well. Every single article was  
filled with anti-Superman sentiments. She fervently forwarded the idea that having a  
super-powered being around could only lead to the subjugation of the human race. She  
feared him. Distrusted him. Detested him.  
<<So why… why hasn’t she said… when she told me about who I was — and the things I  
did — she made out like I was a hero — a valuable part of the human race… but now…  
why didn’t she … of course… she just wants me to get my memory back, so that I can  
stop the asteroid. Why would she tell me about her true feelings when it wouldn’t help.  
But… there’s something…something there — I can feel it — tugging at the edges of my  
memory. I need more answers, I need to know why she feels this way. Only then can I —  
will I — remember who I am. But how do I ask her to explain. She’s already on edge. She  
fears me and if I tell her I know how she really feels, she’s likely to turn tail and run. And,  
I’ll have to follow her, and stop her from leaving. Even though I said I wouldn’t. Because  
she is the answer, and I need her. >>  
The words she wrote burned deeply into his mind. Shell-shocked, he sat back in his chair  
running an agitated hand through his hair.  
<<Why did she write those things? Why does she hate me so … so desperately? >>  
It actually made sense to him that there would be sensible and sane people out there who  
would initially have questioned his loyalties and ulterior motives. In fact, had he been  
human, he probably would have also felt an initial suspicion towards a benevolent-  
seeming super-being. Likely, he would have needed a great deal of proof before letting  
down his guard. And it also made sense to him that intelligent and reasonable people  
would be trying to find ways to stop him, should he ever turn against the human race. It  
wasn’t out of the realm of reasonable to imagine that happening.  
However, her articles didn’t convey a sensible level of caution. Rather, they were laced  
with an urgent panic, terrible fear… and even… bitter hatred. Her earlier articles were  
filled with contempt towards those who would welcome him without a single ounce of  
hesitation. She was writing from the point of view of someone trying to warn a ship from  
crashing into the rocks.  
<<Fear. Urgency. Panic. Hate. Why?>>  
Even odder was the fact that her later articles seemed to lose that edge… she still wrote  
the articles, but it was clear that her heart wasn’t in it as it was in the beginning.  
<<What changed her mind? Did she really ever change her mind? Why did she stop  
writing the articles? Did someone make her stop writing them? Did someone threaten her?  
Was it me?>>  
<<It doesn’t make any sense.>>  
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make the pieces fit together. Her articles spoke  
of a deep-seated terror and anger towards him. But those feelings seemed to become  
more blunt over time. Then again, her behavior with him today started out with the same  
stark terror he had sensed from her articles.  
<<She had been absolutely blind with terror when she first saw me, and then suddenly —  
her attitude changed. It was all triggered by my putting on clothes. >>  
He could see why a woman would be afraid of being accosted by a completely naked man  
– especially one that she had at one point, at least, been wary of. In some of her earlier  
writings, she had painted possible future scenarios… scenarios in which he enslaved  
humanity, forcing women into a horrifying sexual slavery.  
<<Did she really believe I could do that? Does she still believe it? Is that why she reacted  
so violently earlier when I was naked? Did she think I was going to harm her? I guess my  
behavior at that time didn’t really help. I hurt her. I was rough with her, and angry. But  
why did she change so suddenly after she saw me with clothes on? Did she figure that  
meant I wasn’t going to hurt her? But it was the way she reacted that puzzles me. She  
acted as if she suddenly recognized me. How could she not have recognized me before?  
Was she blind in her fear at encountering a naked man, where she had expected none to  
be? Did she think I was some random stranger? >>  
He reflected soberly on those early moments together. She had avoided making eye  
contact during those earlier moments, but she had had a chance to see his face. On  
further reflection, he felt certain that she had been able to see him long enough to know  
who he was.  
Did she not know who he was even after she saw his face? Who did she think he was,  
then? Did he have a brother? A clone? If he had some kind of evil twin, it would put the  
pieces into place. She might have mistaken him for his evil twin, and then, seeing him in  
his own clothes, realized that he was Clark, a man that she didn’t have as much reason to  
fear. But evil twins were something out of a fiction writer’s pen. It made no sense to him  
that he would have an evil twin, and she would have failed to mention it. In fact, he had  
found no mention on the internet of there being anyone else from his planet on Earth  
besides himself.  
<<I have to find out. I have to ask her>>  
He watched her surreptitiously from his darkened room for a few long moments, and then  
with a weary sense of foreboding, stood up and walked to the doorway.  
"Lois?"  
She had been pacing slowly, but at the sound of him calling her name, stopped in her  
tracks, her eyes anxiously moving to meet his. He was relieved to see that the look in her  
eyes was devoid of any of her earlier panic.  
"Did — do you … do you remember anything?" Hope was threaded in her voice, a hope  
which died quickly at the bleak look on his face.  
"What? What… what is it? You look… like — you look upset?"  
"I don’t remember anything," he said regretfully. "And it’s… well — it’s kind of  
demoralizing."  
"Well — you know — we have time yet … we — we can’t — you know — we can’t give up  
— not yet. Not — not that I’m implying that you — you’re giving up — but –"  
"Lois? I — I did find something. Something that I need to talk to you about."  
"Okay — okay, sure. Anything I can help with — I — that’s why I’m here."  
"Yeah. Yeah. Why you’re here. Listen… there’s no real good way to say this… I … I … did a  
search on… you. I did a search on you, and I can understand if you’re angry about it —  
but I was curious. I mean — you’re a reporter, and I was looking for articles written about  
me…." He trailed off as he saw the comprehension dawn in her eyes.  
She felt frozen in time as she listened to him speak.  
<<My articles. He found my articles>>  
She looked at him fearfully, trying to see any signs of incipient anger. She found none, but  
she also noted uneasily that his expression was oddly unreadable.  
<<Like Kal-El. I never knew if he was angry. I never knew when to expect the blows.>>  
Her thoughts skittered uncomfortably away from the reminiscence. The mask he wore  
slipped, and suddenly she saw a wealth of confusion, worry, and discomfort in his eyes.  
Oddly, it comforted her.  
"Listen," he said uncomfortably. "I know — I know you… you haven’t wanted to talk about  
it. But… but there’s this thing. This strange thing between us. You say we aren’t friends,  
and I’d have to agree with that. But, you kind of want me to believe that we are just casual  
acquaintances. Two people who haven’t yet had a chance to become friends. And I was  
really trying to believe that, despite the signs to the contrary. But… I can’t do that  
anymore. I have to know the truth. I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you — I don’t want to  
cause you any distress — but I have to have some answers. And you’re the only one who  
can provide them."  
She flinched at his words, especially the part about not wanting to hurt her. She couldn’t  
help the brief and bitter flashback that went through her mind at those words. A flash of  
being thrown viciously into a wall by a man who looked just like the one standing here.  
She felt the old fear come back, as well as the bitter taste of anger. Valiantly she fought to  
keep those feelings from displaying on her far-too-expressive face. She was failing in that  
attempt, because she saw his startled reaction. He took a step towards her, and she  
frantically backed up a few steps. Cursing herself for her reaction, she turned away from  
him, half expecting to hear him yell at her for it.  
///Don’t turn your back on me. Don’t EVER turn your back on me.///  
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, dispelling the image that had popped  
into her head.  
"Lois? It’s this — you know? This reaction? You’re… you’re afraid of… of me. I know you  
don’t want to talk about it — but the way you reacted to me earlier… I know — I know — I  
was a jerk. I know  
I acted badly… but you … you just seemed so sure that… that I was going to hurt you.  
You were ready to kill yourself. Lois — I think you thought I was going to rape –"  
"Stop it!" She shouted out the words before she could hold them in. "Stop it! I don’t want  
to talk about it!"  
///That was very disrespectful. Very insolent. I’ll not be spoken to like that — not by a  
slave like you. I’m going to have to teach you a lesson. You force me to do it, you know? I  
wouldn’t hurt you half as much if you didn’t ask for it. You never learn. When will you  
figure out that you are nothing? Nobody. You’re just a slave///  
"No!" It was a strangled whisper, a cry to a man who was merely a ghost in her mind. "No.  
I’m not!"  
"Not what? What are you talking about?"  
She turned her head swiftly to meet his gaze, an expression of extreme distress and  
confusion on her face.  
"I’m… uh — I’m not afraid that… that … you would…" She couldn’t say it. Couldn’t bring  
herself to vocalize it out loud. It was a dark magic word. An incantation that would  
summon demons to her doorsteps. Demons of the past, and nothing could save her then.  
"But… but you were. Back then. Earlier." He seemed to know that he shouldn’t use the  
word again. He wore an expression of sheepish remorse on his face. He was sorry to  
contradict her and sorry to force her to face this thing she was trying to avoid. But he had  
no choice. It really was a matter of life or death.  
"I didn’t expect to find you here — I thought — I thought you were an intruder — and you  
— and you had no clothes on…"  
"You thought I was an intruder — even after seeing my face? I’m sorry, Lois — but I think  
you’re lying. "  
///You’re lying. I can tell. I can always tell when you aren’t telling me the truth. But that’s  
okay. I don’t mind. It just gives me a -reason to teach you not to lie to me. And, I have to  
be honest… I do enjoy teaching you these lessons.///  
"No — no ! I’m not — I’m not lying – I — I-"  
She broke off, flustered. Her voice and manner were pleading and frantic.  
"Lois — it’s okay," he said as soothingly as he could, unaware that she was being assailed  
with memories from the past. "I — mean — it’s okay … but it’s not okay. It’s okay that  
you’ve lied… but you can’t keep doing it — we are running out of time. Running out of  
options. Please — I’m begging you — I’m pleading with you… hell, I’ll even get down on  
my knees –"  
///You don’t want me to do this? You aren’t being very convincing. Get down on your  
knees, slave. Beg for mercy. Maybe then, just maybe, I’ll be amused enough by it to  
reward you — to do as you ask. Come on — plead for mercy. Amuse me.///  
"No!"  
"Okay — no begging. I was kind of speaking figuratively anyway. Please, Lois — just tell  
me what’s going on."  
"I — I can’t!" Her voice was a pleading wail.  
<<Don’t make me. Please… Please don’t make me.>>  
Lois no longer was sure who she was talking to.  
"Why not?!" His tone was getting agitated and frustrated. "Why can’t you just come out  
and say it!! Lois — the world is at stake! This is bigger… bigger than anything!"  
<<He’s angry. He’s angry at me. >>  
"Please… "  
"I don’t have a choice! What is it that’s so awful — so ugly — that you would risk the  
entire safety of your home planet to avoid facing? What did I do? What did I do to you?  
Why do you hate me so much?" His voice became louder with every question, until he  
finally shouted out the last one. He cursed himself silently as he saw her flinch from his  
anger.  
He buried his head in his hands for a moment, as he worked to get his feelings under  
control. He counted silently to ten and then he spoke again in a quieter and more  
measured way.  
"Don’t you see? I have to do this."  
///Don’t you see? I have to do this. I have to make you know your place. You’ll be much  
happier once you have accepted that you belong to me — that you will always belong to  
me, and that the entire purpose of your existence is to please me. You keep fighting  
that… and as long as you fight against it, you will force me to punish you. Not that I mind  
so much, but you could make it easier on yourself. To be honest — I’m glad of it.///  
Her eyes widened in horror at the exact echoing of his dark doppelganger’s words. She  
took an unconscious step back.  
<<What is wrong with her? What is making her so afraid?>>  
"Lois. Please. Please help me. I need your help. Desperately."  
His words were like ice water, bringing her back to the moment.  
"I — I want to help. I want you to get your memories back. I want you to stop the  
asteroid." Her voice was anguished.  
"Then –"  
"I don’t see how talking about this will help you! Why do we have to talk about this? It’s  
irrelevant – what does it really matter why I act the way I act?"  
"It matters because you matter!"  
"No! I don’t — I’m nothing — I’m nobody — I’m just a –"  
"A what? A reporter? An acquaintance? A what? It does matter. You matter! I’ve had a  
feeling the entire time we’ve been together that you hold the key. That’s why I asked you  
to stay here with me. And I think you know that. I think you believe it too — otherwise,  
why would you have agreed? If you didn’t believe it, you might have tried to convince me  
to go see some of the other people in my life who might be able to help. But you didn’t —  
because you know as well as I do that this thing between us is what counts!" His voice was  
rising in passion as he tried to urge her to admit this.  
"Look," she said desperately, "I stopped writing those articles! You can see for yourself  
that the last one is dated months ago. I stopped — surely that means something to you?"  
"It isn’t about how I feel about the articles. I feel like I’m wandering around a maze  
blindfolded and that you have the map – you know how I can get out — but you won’t tell  
me. I don’t know why you keep holding back. No matter what it is that’s between us — is  
it really more important than the continued existence of the Earth? Of the human race?  
Lois — this is bigger than both of us — we have to put our own needs aside and think of  
that — the greater good. The imminent threat!"  
"I just can’t!! I can’t! You keep asking me to — but if I do, then I lose it all! I lose  
everything! Ever since I — I — ever since… I’ve been holding it all in – holding it all at bay.  
I won’t … I won’t be able to live, if it comes back. I won’t be able to function! I’ll be a  
gibbering idiot — they’ll have to lock me up in a mental institution, and I won’t be locked  
up — not again! I won’t give up my freedom!"  
"You were locked up before? You were — were you in jail? I don’t –"  
"No! I don’t want to talk about myself — or anything — or anywhere that I’ve been.  
You’re… you’re trying to trick me!" She spoke rapidly, her eyes deliberately evading his as  
she talked to a spot behind his head. "I can’t see how I’m any use here at all — and I think  
we should go get help."  
She moved towards the door, but his hand shot out and grasped her arm, forcing her to  
stay where she was.  
"You — you said I was free to go," her voice was shocked and frightened. "You — you  
promised! You said — I was free…"  
"Not anymore," his voice was grim and determined. "You can’t go anywhere. I can’t let you  
go anywhere. I’m sorry. But I’m — I can feel it — crowding in at the edges of my mind.  
There’s something here — memories — and they just need the push — the push that only  
you can give them. Give them that push, Lois! Come on! Level with me — please!"  
"Let me go!" her voice was a frantic sound. "Let me go — please! You promised!! You said  
I wasn’t a prisoner. You can’t just do this! I can’t go through it again! I won’t — won’t be a  
prisoner! Not again — not ever again!"  
"Did I — did I imprison you? Did I … did I treat you badly in the past? Did I ever hurt you?  
What kind of a man am I then, that would do this?"  
"No — no — not you — not you — it wasn’t you — not you!"  
"Someone else? Someone hurt you? Someone held you prisoner?"  
She didn’t respond, and in that clarifying instance, he realized he had hit on the truth.  
"Please. Just me go — just let go of me!"  
He looked at her intently for a long moment, trying desperately to decipher her mysteries.  
"I’ll let go of you… but I can’t let you go." Gingerly, he released his hold on her. He knew  
he could stop her from leaving, but he didn’t want it to come to that. She wasn’t going to  
be much good to him if he managed to drive her further into a panic fit.  
She rubbed her arm absently as she stared at him, her breath labored and her expression  
hunted. Haunted.  
Immediately, he felt contrite.  
<<Did I hurt her? Did I hold her too tightly? >>  
His face showed his remorse as he mutely pleaded with her to meet him halfway.  
"No… no — you didn’t hurt me. Not much, anyway."  
"Did… did you… did you read my mind?"  
"No. I just… guessed at what you were wondering. It was written on your face."  
<<He always watched to see if he had hurt me, too. Only he wanted to see it in my face,  
in my eyes. It gave him pleasure.>>  
"If you know that — then you know that I’d never want to hurt you. But… you have trouble  
believing that. You have been hurt, right?" His gaze was intent again, as he tried to draw  
her into revealing her secrets. "Right?"  
She broke the gaze, looking away, her arms around her in an unconscious protective hug.  
"Who hasn’t?" Her voice was bitter and quiet.  
"Okay — that’s true… being hurt comes part and parcel with being alive. I grant you that.  
But… you’ve been hurt in a way that isn’t… usual. You’ve been badly hurt. The question is  
— by whom, and what do I have to do with it? What role do I play in your fears — that’s  
the part I don’t get. But I think — no. I know. I know that there’s something between us.  
And I think I can’t remember anything about who I am because on some strange level, I  
don’t want to know — I don’t want to have the knowledge of what has happened to you —  
of who hurt you. I don’t want to be connected with it." He shook his head, confused. "It  
doesn’t make any sense!"  
"Okay — yes! Okay? I’ve been hurt. I’ve been hurt badly. By someone powerful — and —  
you know — you’re pretty powerful — so it’s not … outside the realm of credibility that I  
might transfer some of my feelings about that onto you — that you might be standing in  
proxy — "  
"Damn it, Lois! I can tell that you’re… you’re holding something back — you’re trying to  
appease me with half-truths! That isn’t going to be enough to save us when that asteroid  
hits! You have to stop playing games here!"  
His outburst took her by surprise, and she felt her heart clench in dread.  
<<Be careful about making him angry. They always hurt you more when they’re angry.>>  
"I — I — I am telling you the truth."  
"Parts of it. Bits of it. I need the whole thing. What role did I play in your ordeal? Who hurt  
you?"  
"I — I –"  
"Damn it!! Who hurt you? Come on. It’s a question — it has an answer — which you know  
— tell me! Who hurt you?"  
"Stop — stop –"  
"I can’t — I have to know! Who hurt you? What did they do to you? What does it have to do  
with me?"  
"I have to go — I can’t — I can’t be here. I can’t be here with you." She turned quickly and  
made for the door.  
"You aren’t going anywhere!" He rushed with a speed that astonished even himself and  
made it to the door before she could get there. He leaned against door, blocking her only  
exit "You aren’t going to leave."  
///You aren’t going to leave. You aren’t going to go home. This is your home now — this  
is who you are — and what you are. You belong to me, now, and you wear my mark to  
prove it. Better get used to this, slave, because the sooner you do, the easier it will be on  
you.///  
His voice rang in her head. Silken, smooth and cruel.  
She buried her head in her hands to dispel the memory. "No!"  
///I know everything you’re thinking. I know everything you’re doing. I see everything,  
hear everything. Even your thoughts are mine –there is nothing you can call your own. Not  
your body. Not your mind. You belong to me and you will spend the rest of your life  
belonging to me. But don’t worry — that won’t last too long. Once your youthful charms  
elude you, I’ll grant you the final mercy and have you killed. Maybe I’ll even do it myself.  
You humans have an interesting turn of phrase that I find highly appropriate: Ashes to  
ashes.///  
"No! No! No!" Lois cried out in denial. In denial of his words and the truths within them.  
She never would be free. Never, not as long as he lived in her mind. She felt the walls she  
had carefully erected around her memories tumble down as the memories forced their  
way into the conscious parts of her mind. She could feel his hands upon her — his brutal  
hands. She tasted her own blood again, as he forced his mouth so hard up against hers  
that her own teeth cut the tender inner skin of her mouth.  
She could smell once again the smell of burning flesh as he branded her that first day  
there. She felt the searing pain, like no other, of her skin being burned. She felt again the  
harsh contact of the wall as he threw her casually across the room, or the blinding force  
of his hand against the side of her face. She felt once again the brutal invasion of her  
body, and also of her mind. The present was lost to her, as the past assailed her. Her  
entire sensory experience was filled with impressions and images of Kal-El and his  
brutality.  
Clark watched, horror-struck, as the woman in front of him shrank in on herself. She  
wrapped her arms completely around her head, as if to ward off a blow, and sank to the  
floor in a sobbing heap.  
<<Dear god. I’ve… I’ve broken her. >>  
<<Kal-El. She’s with Kal-El. She’s back in that other world. I’ve forced her to go back to  
Kal-El. >>  
The moment he thought it, it was like he had never forgotten it. One moment his  
memories were a big blank, and the next moment he knew it all. His synapses rapidly  
firing, he was overwhelmed by images… images of every encounter he had had with her  
since her return. He saw her lying in the dimension-travel machine, bruised, battered and  
unconscious. He saw her reacting fearfully when he saved her from getting killed. He saw  
her trying to fend off Lex Luthor, and later saw her wary-mistrust turn into abject- terror  
as he tried to hand her the briefcase.  
<<It’s back. My memory is back. But at what cost. Her sanity? She said she’d be unable to  
come back out of it. Dear god, I hope that isn’t true. Let it not be true. >>  
"Lois! Lois? Please — please … Lois?" He approached her hesitantly, but he was unwilling  
to touch her. Unwilling to do anything that would prod her deeper into her own private  
hell. When she ignored him, he realized the futility in trying to reach her right now.  
She had to work through the memories on her own, and he had an asteroid to stop.  
Giving her one last baleful look, he wandered over to the television and turned it on. As  
he had suspected, the rocket mission had failed just ten minutes previously. It was  
entirely up to him at this point to stop the asteroid. Grimly, he walked back over to her  
huddled form."  
"Lois. I don’t know if you can hear me… but… but… you did it. You helped me get my  
memory back — for whatever small consolation that may give you. I’m… I’m so sorry… I  
never wanted to — I never meant to…"  
<<hurt her? Yeah. Why don’t you just go and say that.>>  
"… I have to go now. I have to go stop the asteroid, and this time, I promise — I promise,  
I’ll do it. If… if you can hear me — please…please stay here as long as you need to – you  
don’t have to leave, okay? If … if you’re here when I get back — I’ll go someplace else.  
Just take the time you need."  
Feeling heavy with guilt, he reluctantly strode to the balcony.  
<<Duty first. First and foremost. An apology is useless if her world crumbles around her.  
Literally.>>  
He spun into his suit, and opened the doors to start on his journey. Then he backtracked,  
and went into his bedroom. He came back out towards her body with a thick and colorful  
knitted afghan — one of the many that his mother had made. He draped it gently around  
her non-responsive shoulders, and then went back to the window. Giving her one last  
regretful glance, he flew off into the night.  
As he streaked through space, he found himself unable to focus on the life-or-death task  
at hand. Although he kept rigidly trying to keep his thoughts from occluding his purpose,  
he was unable to stop thinking about Lois, and all that had happened that day.  
<<I can’t believe I said those things. I can’t believe I did those things. My god! I actually  
grabbed her — I pulled her into my bedroom, for crying out loud. I pulled her into my  
bedroom roughly, and I wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing. No wonder she was terrified.  
She must have thought that I was him — that he had come to bring her back there. God,  
she was ready to kill herself rather than go back. >>  
<<She was really starting to ease back on her negative feelings about me. I know she was  
still afraid to be near me, but she wasn’t writing her articles anymore. She even said as  
much — said that she no longer believed in them. She was learning to live a normal life  
again — to put it behind her — and I brought it all back. I made it all real to her again. I  
showed her that her initial instincts about me weren’t as far off as she may have thought.  
I turned into Kal-El — at least for a while there. I wouldn’t let her leave. I held her prisoner  
— against her will. I’m sure she thought I was going to… rape her… when I pulled her into  
my room. I can’t even bear to think about that. I can’t believe I did those things or said  
those things. She asked me to let her go — she told me that I was hurting her, and I didn’t  
even believe her. What kind of jerk doesn’t believe a woman when she says he’s hurting  
her? My god — is that what I’m really like, underneath it all? What if I’m just like him —  
what if that’s inside me? All it took was a blow to the head — to forget who I am, and sink  
into unspeakable behavior? >>  
<<Ok. Maybe I’m being a little dramatic. I didn’t try to … I wasn’t going to… but I did use  
my abilities to hold her there against her will. I sacrificed her needs for the needs of the  
world — for my needs — my desire to live — to continue to have the companionship of  
the human race and a home on the Earth. I put my own needs over hers — even when  
faced with the obvious reality that her needs were being ignored. I drove her into that …  
that breakdown… I can’t deny that. I can’t sugarcoat it. I did what I did — ostensibly to  
save the world — but I did it at her expense. And on some level, doesn’t that make me a  
little like him? >>  
<<If she ever comes out of it — and…please — god — let her come out of it — let her be  
okay…. But if she ever does, she won’t come near me without a ten-foot kryptonite pole.  
Of course — she knows nothing about kryptonite. I should send her some, anonymously  
— let her know it will protect her from me. That way she might feel safe again. Don’t I  
owe her that much? I owe her that and more. But of course, I can’t do that — can’t expose  
my weakness. I can’t risk a creep like Luthor having that kind of power over me. So once  
again, I choose myself over her. Some hero. But how could I have done things differently? I  
don’t know… I don’t know… it just doesn’t feel right — thinking back on how things  
went, I just feel awful. I hurt her, I may even have broken her, and I need to take  
responsibility for that. She didn’t want to talk about it, and I pushed her into it. I bullied  
her into it. I sent her back into his world.>>  
Hours later, he returned, drained from his mission. Drained, but successful. The asteroid  
was no longer a threat. He had managed to destroy it without putting earth at any risk of  
fallout. He briefly paid a visit to EPRAD and gave them a quick sketch of what he had  
done. Deflecting the press had not been easy, but he begged off giving a press  
conference on account of being exhausted.  
As he approached his apartment, he used his x-ray vision to see if Lois was still in his  
apartment. To his great relief, she was fast asleep. His relief faded fast as he registered  
the fact that she was asleep on the floor.  
<<Oh man! Why is she asleep on the floor? I can’t let her sleep on the floor! It’s too  
uncomfortable. I’m dead tired myself but I can’t go sleep on a comfortable bed knowing  
she’s out here on the floor. It has to be hard and cold. So what do I do? If I move her, she  
might wake up. And if she’s still in the same state she was when I left her… well, she’s  
better off asleep. And I’m sure she needs the sleep. She must be beyond exhausted after  
what I put her through. But…I can’t let her stay like that — I wouldn’t be able to sleep,  
knowing she’s out here like this. What kind of jerk goes off and makes himself  
comfortable while someone else is sleeping on the floor in his apartment. No. I have to  
move her — and hope very hard that I don’t wake her up.>>  
Nervously he crouched next to her sleeping form, trying to figure out the best way to get  
her on the couch without waking her up. She was lying on her front, her head cradled in  
her arms, turned to the side. He stared down at her intently, trying to gauge how deeply  
she was sleeping, when he noticed that her shirt had slipped a bit off her shoulder,  
leaving some of her upper back and shoulder exposed. His eyes were drawn to an oddly  
shaped mark on her upper shoulder.  
<<What’s that on her back? A tattoo? >>  
His breath caught sharply as he took in the sight of the scar that Kal-El’s branding had  
left her. The symbol on her back was odd and foreign looking and reminded him  
somewhat of the one he wore. It was unmistakably Kryptonian, and not a random birth-  
mark.  
<<Dear god! He marked her — he burned his mark into her! >>  
Fury rose fast and furious in his heart as the impact of what had been done to her washed  
over him. The bastard used his heat vision on her.  
<<He burned a goddamned symbol into her back. A mark of ownership! I can’t even  
imagine doing that to a — a – cockroach, let alone a human being. What kind of monster  
does that to another living being?>>  
Desperately, he wanted to reach out and offer comfort, to somehow sooth the mark away,  
but he knew that his touch would be far from comforting. He was three years too late to  
offer up any soothing for the damage that had been done.  
<<Someday — someday I’ll go to that world. And I’ll… I’ll… what? Kill him? I couldn’t do  
that- then I’d become him — a killer. A monster. But … how else could he be stopped?  
What other recourse could there be? I don’t know — but I have to do something. He can’t  
be allowed to keep doing this to people. Anyway — it’s all moot right now. Herb is going  
to be a hard one to convince. Unless I … what? Use force? Again — don’t want to be like  
Kal-El. The ends — do they really justify the means if the means are themselves  
tyrannical? >>  
He inhaled slowly, trying to regain a semblance of calm.  
<<First things first. Solve this problem first. I have to get her onto the couch without  
waking her up. Then I can go get some sleep. Maybe she won’t even know I’m here. Ok.  
Here goes. >>  
He very gently slipped his arms under her and tried to stand up without jarring her. Once  
he was standing with her in his arms he allowed himself to let out the very tense breath  
that he had been holding.  
<<So far so good. Now — to get her to the couch without waking her up. >>  
He walked to the couch, feeling fortunate that his super strength enabled him to do so  
without jostling her out of her sleep. He crouched down low and placed her very carefully  
on the couch, intending to then slide his arms out from where they were holding her. As  
he moved to perform this final maneuver, he felt her stiffen. Her slow breathing had  
suddenly quickened, and he realized that he had failed.  
She came awake suddenly and felt a complete sense of disorientation. Instantly she  
realized that she wasn’t alone. Someone was right there — someone was holding her. Her  
body felt stiff and sore, and she remembered sleeping on an uncomfortable surface. Like  
back in that world. Was she still there? Had she never left at all?  
<<It couldn’t have been a dream! >>  
Her spirit wailed at the idea that she could still be back in that hellish existence.  
<<Kal-El? Oh god, is this Kal-El?>>  
Her breathing became shallow and panicked as she tried to force herself to imitate sleep.  
<<Maybe if he thinks I’m asleep — maybe — maybe he’ll leave me alone.>>  
He registered her panic, and knew he had to act fast.  
"Lois. I — I’m sorry. I … I didn’t mean to wake you up. I … I just wanted to — help you be  
more comfortable."  
<<Oh god. It wasn’t a dream. Not Kal-El. I’m not back there!>>  
The feeling of relief nearly overpowered her in its intensity.  
He released her all the way onto the couch, breaking off the contact that he knew must be  
distasteful to her, and he stood up, leaning over to turn on the lamp. She blinked against  
the sudden light, feeling disoriented and exhausted. She looked up at him, taking in his  
appearance, much worse for the wear.  
<<Relax! Relax. This isn’t Kal-El. Say something. Anything. >>  
"The… the asteroid?" Her voice came out as a hoarse croak from all the crying she had  
done the night before.  
"Gone. Smithereens."  
"Oh," she winced, feeling vaguely unsettled at the image his word evoked.  
<<The asteroid was no match for his fists. All that power… I was once at the mercy of all  
that power.>>  
"Uh… good. Thanks."  
<<What did I… oh — right — bad choice of words. Damn — why do I keep doing that to  
her?>>  
"No — no problem. I — well — you know — I had to do it."  
They shared a moment of awkward silence, and then she stood up off the couch, looking  
to dispel the tension. She felt deeply embarrassed by her earlier behavior and actions, and  
seeing him in front of her dressed as Superman only added to her discomfort. He always  
seemed more threatening this way — more Kryptonian, and though she intellectually  
knew that he wasn’t going to hurt her, she had difficulty controlling her fear responses. It  
seemed especially difficult now because the specter of Kal-El was looming large in her  
mind.  
<<What do I do? What do I say?>>  
"You… you look tired."  
<<Right. Score one for Lois in the witty repartee department.>>  
"Uh … yeah," he smiled wearily. "Just a little."  
She looked more closely at him, seeing for the first time since she had awoken the deep  
exhaustion in his eyes. She pondered quickly that this man had faced an asteroid — faced  
it… possibly head on. The asteroid had almost killed him after his first encounter, and yet  
he willingly and unflaggingly went out again to stop it. He must have been terrified — and  
the experience must have been harrowing.  
"Do… do you want to talk about it?" The words just fell out of her mouth.  
Again he favored her with a tired, but friendly smile. "Um. Yes… yes, I do — but… not  
now."  
<<Of course. And not with me. Why would he pick me to talk about this? And of course, I  
probably sounded like I was going after the story. >>  
"Right — right — I’m sorry. Of course – "  
"I’m just really tired."  
"Oh, I’m sure! And — I … I’m just – you must want to be alone so you can sleep. I — I’ll be  
leaving now –"  
"I didn’t mean to imply — or – you know — you don’t have to leave — if you need to catch  
more sleep — or — if you — do you want breakfast? I can cook pretty well, and I — well —  
you’ve had my coffee…"  
"No. No — you don’t need to be taking care of me right now," she said with a firmness  
that surprised her. "What you need is sleep," her voice was almost stern.  
Biting back the urge to say ‘Yes, mom’, he smiled at her, this time, not as wearily.  
"I really do want to talk about it. I don’t — I hate… writing about myself — things I’ve  
done. I feel kind of strange doing that. But this is a big story — one that should be told —  
and one that people are eager to hear, I’m sure… I’d…" he hesitated, feeling a bit  
embarrassed about continuing.  
<<He’s trying to tell me that he doesn’t want to tell me this story. I understand, it’s not  
like I’ve given him reason to want to share this — or any other story — with me. >>  
"It’s okay — there are plenty of reporters out there that you know who can give this the  
justice it deserves — hopefully at the Daily Planet?"  
"I was actually hoping you would write it."  
"Really?" She had trouble holding back her excitement. Whatever they had been through,  
this was an extraordinary opportunity. But it was more than that — she had this odd  
desire to be the one he shared this with — to be his confidant. To somehow offer him the  
chance to unburden his soul, and to share his fears. She didn’t understand where these  
feelings were coming from, but she suspected that it had something to do with the fact  
that they had both shared such an intense experience.  
"Really. I just felt kind of funny asking. You know- it sounds kind of… arrogant — and –"  
<<No. Not a good word. I’m sure Kal-El was arrogant!>>  
"You’re offering me an exclusive on the one story that every reporter would give a kidney  
to get. I really appreciate it."  
"You — you deserve it. I couldn’t have done it without you," he said quietly.  
"Well… I don’t know about that… but — yes. Yes — I’d like to — be the… one."  
<<Oh — you are. The one. The only. >>  
"Great! But…"  
"But… but later. I know you’re tired — you have to be exhausted from what you went  
through. And — to tell the truth — I am too. I want to go home — I need to talk to my  
parents — I – my phone died a while back, and I’m sure they are frantic. They had asked  
me to spend the ‘last moments’ with them, if it came to that, and I think I let them down."  
<<Only because I wouldn’t let you leave. >>  
"Right." His remorse showed in his eyes, but he was unable to voice his apologies just yet,  
afraid of bringing back those nightmarish memories for her.  
"I don’t know that I would have made good on my promise regardless… being with them,  
in such a stark and painful way — I don’t know that I could have dealt with their emotions,  
you know?"  
"Yeah. I do."  
"Can I tell them…"  
"Absolutely — tell them anything — everything."  
"Just… you know — the part that matters."  
"Are… do you need my help getting there?"  
<<God, no! I’m not ready for that.>>  
"No — no — my car — it’s — I have my car."  
"Where is it?"  
"Down a few blocks, that-a-way."  
He looked in the direction she pointed and used his super-vision to ensure that her car  
hadn’t been touched by rioting crowds. It looked to be in good shape and there wasn’t  
anybody hiding inside.  
"Are you going to be okay? People – well — people got pretty crazy for a while there. I  
think emotions are still running pretty high."  
Immediately she felt defensive and unsure. The Kryptonians in that other world had  
always mocked humans for their excessively sloppy emotionalism. "Well — well — it’s  
understandable… I think — under these circumstances — you know — people — they  
were afraid — afraid that there wouldn’t be a tomorrow — "  
"I know — and I wasn’t — I wasn’t criticizing. I’m sorry — I didn’t realize… sometimes I  
forget," he smiled self- deprecatingly. "I forget that I’m not human — that I’m perceived  
as not human. I feel like I’m human, part of the human race, so when I make a statement  
like that — I don’t see myself as someone on the outside making judgment calls on  
everyone else."  
<<I’m such a jerk.>>  
"I — shouldn’t have gotten so defensive. I’m sorry. I guess I still have some things to work  
through." She said this quietly, hoping desperately that he wouldn’t pursue this avenue of  
discussion.  
<<I’m not ready to talk about it.>>  
"No need to apologize."  
"Neither do you."  
"So — so do you need … an escort? I feel like I should walk you to your car or something."  
"No. No — don’t worry… I’ll be…" her voice trailed off, as she thought of Luthor.  
"Lois?"  
"Can… can I change my mind?"  
"Of course!"  
"It’s just — well — as you said — people — acting crazy."  
<<She’s… she’s holding something back. She’s not really afraid of rioting crowds.  
There’s something or someone else. >>  
"Lois? Are… is there someone who –"  
"No — no — well… kind of. You know — you warned me about him."  
"Luthor."  
She flinched at his name. "Yes."  
"Oh — you want that briefcase, right?"  
She blushed, thinking of how she had broken into his apartment for that very prize. "Uh…  
yeah… I kind of do."  
"I’ll get it — just one moment — and then -"  
"Are — are you going to change?"  
<<Lois, shut up! Where did that come from?>>  
"Uh — yeah — I suppose — I’d get mobbed by people dressed like this. At least, as Clark  
I’m a little more inconspicuous."  
"Not much, I’d wager. You should get some sleep — I’ll be okay, getting to my car."  
"I’d feel better if you let me accompany you. No pressure — if you don’t feel — if you  
don’t want me to — I won’t — but –"  
"Maybe you could follow me by air — make sure I get there okay? That way nobody would  
see you."  
He was disappointed in the plan because it meant he wouldn’t be with her, but he had to  
admit, it made a lot of sense.  
"Okay. Sounds like a good compromise. Here’s the briefcase." He held it out to her.  
"Thank you. Thank you very much."  
"What brought on the change of heart?"  
"I…" she trailed off, not really wanting to talk about Lex.  
"Did he do anything? Did he –" Clark broke off, not wanting to upset her, especially as he  
could feel himself becoming agitated and angry at Luthor. He didn’t want to scare her  
with a show of anger.  
"Yes –" she started to say, but then she broke off when she saw how his hands suddenly  
curled into fists and his body became tense.  
Fear washed over her so suddenly it made her dizzy and nauseous. She abruptly found  
herself unable to look into his eyes. Furiously she commanded herself to stop acting like a  
ninny. It took all her force of will to get her to bring her eyes back to his face. She didn’t  
want him to see her response, to give her that look of remorse and understanding.  
"Lois, what did he –" he checked himself as he registered her panic. Her fear. Of him. He  
realized his stance was now somewhat on the belligerent side, and that his voice was  
angry.  
<<Stay calm. If he had raped her, she wouldn’t be … very coherent. Not after what she’s  
been through. >>  
"It’s kind of stupid. I don’t — I don’t really want to talk about it — if — it that’s okay." Her  
voice was anxious as she fretted she had offended him by refusing to talk about it.  
"Well — of course — it has to be okay — but Lois — if he — if you ever feel threatened —  
by him, or by anyone else –"  
"Call you."  
"Right. I’ll be there — right away — you just have to call my name."  
"And you’ll be there…"  
"With bells on. Or… well – just a cape and boots."  
The minute the words were out, he flinched at their double meaning.  
<<Just a cape and boots? And nothing else? Like a goddamned exotic dancer. Nice job,  
Clark — once again, your foot — or rather — boot — is back in your mouth. >>  
His feelings showed a bit on his face, and he saw the answering look of amusement begin  
to dawn on hers.  
<<Okay — not a catastrophe. I’ve amused her. That’s better than disgusting her, or  
scaring her — by a long shot. Being a clown beats being a monster.>>  
"Did I just say what I think I said," he asked in dismay. "I’m hoping you’ll give me a little  
leeway here as far as verbal blunders. I really am kind of tired."  
She smiled more fully, unable to help it — despite the disturbing imagery his words had  
given her, the fact that he immediately had winced from his words had nearly given her a  
fit of the giggles. She knew those moments — when words hung out in the air, tantalizing  
you with your inability to unsay them.  
"Okay — I guess you deserve a bit of leeway. And yes," she continued, more seriously, "it’s  
clear, just from looking at you, how tired you are. I feel guilty –"  
"Don’t!"  
<<Oh god. That sounded like a command.>>  
"I — I mean — please — please don’t. Just… I feel better seeing you safely to your car, at  
least … and I wouldn’t be able to get any rest unless I knew you were okay. So – don’t feel  
guilty. Please. Not on my account. Deal?"  
"Deal."  
Later, as she arrived at her parents, she felt sudden trepidation. Her dad and Lucy knew  
all about what had happened to her and she was guessing her mother knew too. She  
didn’t want to face their emotion — their grief, anger, rage… she just wanted to be  
normal — for them to be normal… and to be strong and self- assured again. She felt  
weak as a result of what she had gone though, and although she knew that it was  
irrational, she felt diminished by having once been so victimized.  
Lois had always prided herself in being the strong, capable and competent one… defender  
of justice, willing and unafraid to face her enemies, and now, she felt like a porcelain doll  
that had been broken, and then carefully reconstructed. If you looked too closely, you  
would see the gaps and cracks. Although you would still be happy to have the doll intact,  
you probably wouldn’t put it up to display anymore. It had lost something that it would  
never be able to regain.  
Bracing herself for their responses, she got out of her car. No sooner had she done so,  
than her mother came tearing down the drive.  
"Thank god, Lois! We thought you were — god — we didn’t know what to think! You were  
supposed to be with us — you never came, and — and — we couldn’t reach you – we  
didn’t know what to think! I thought — I thought I’d lost you again!"  
She heard the panic in her voice and realized how deeply her mother had been affected…  
not just by this recent event, but by all the events in Lois’s life that made her life so  
dangerous. She had never given her mother’s perspective much thought before, and it  
occurred to her that being a mother to a daughter like Lois must surely be a terrifying  
thing. She hoped never to know what that was like. Uncharacteristically, she didn’t launch  
into a frustrated response of how she was okay — how she always was okay — how she  
was an adult who didn’t need supervising… instead — she just opened her arms, and  
stepped into her mother’s embrace, reveling for the first time in a long time, in that  
feeling of being cherished so intensely.  
"Mom. I’m sorry. It’s okay. Everything is okay."  
Her mother stepped back and regarded her closely. "Lois?"  
She smiled. "Yes. In the flesh. Not a pod person."  
"I — I was worried."  
"I gathered," she said lightly, trying to deflect her mother from exposing her feelings any  
further. It was too painful to do this right now. This level — this showing — this was  
enough for now. "Listen. I’m very sorry. I didn’t mean to… abandon you all… at this very  
difficult time. But I think when you hear where I’ve been, you’ll understand. And… uh —  
my phone — yeah — it ran out of battery juice — and I didn’t really notice."  
"Lois — since when don’t you notice a thing like that?"  
"I had… more important things to worry about."  
"What? Is everything all right? Are you okay? Were you okay?"  
"Let’s go back into the house — I’ll explain everything… okay?"  
Later, after she had been greeted by the other two members of her relieved family, and  
after the coffee had been made, she sat with them in the living room, and dropped her  
bomb. "I was with Clark."  
"You mean Superman? Just…just now? You — did you get the story –"  
"Yes, Yes and No. I was with him just now — but also — for the last day. I — ran into him  
— soon after his first attempt failed."  
"You did? He was on Earth all this time? Lois! The entire world was looking for him — why  
didn’t he call EPRAD? What was he thinking? Why didn’t you call and tell someone -"  
"I’m trying to tell you the story — you need to let me finish," she chided her father gently  
for his interruption.  
"Sorry, sorry –" he muttered. "Go on — please."  
"Okay… to make a long story short — he had amnesia, and after I filled him in on who he  
was and what he still needed to do, he asked me for my help in getting his memories  
back. We spent a lot of time together trying to do just that… and finally — we were  
successful. Once he got his memories back, he was able to go and stop the asteroid."  
"Uh — Lois — can you make the short story longer," asked Lucy, perplexed. "Where did  
you meet up with him? How come you were the only one who saw him? I’m sure he was  
pretty conspicuous — his suit must have been all tattered and burned from the –" she  
stopped speaking, as she saw the flush appear on Lois’s face.  
<<His suit would have burned cleanly off. Oh my god. There’s a major story behind this  
story, but she’s not about to tell the parents. >>  
"I… well — I broke into his apartment, and I ran into him there. He seemed to just know  
that that was his home."  
"Lois! What were you doing breaking into his apartment — was this about your article  
series, because, honestly –"  
"Mom — it wasn’t about that," she said quietly. "Clark had some information on Luthor,  
and I was afraid that if Clark was dead, that Luthor would rise to even more levels of …"  
"Evil." Her father’s voice was emphatic.  
"Um – okay — evil. So I ran into him there. He was a little … startled at find me there, but  
in the end, I convinced him who he was, who I was… and that he had just plummeted to  
Earth after colliding with an asteroid. Once that happened, it was just a long road to  
getting his memories back — I told him what I knew about him — showed him how to use  
the internet to surf for information about him… and finally — it all just clicked."  
"So he wasn’t injured — it wasn’t a brain injury that caused the memory loss? It was  
something else, maybe hysterical amnesia –"  
"Dad — I’m not a doctor — I don’t know."  
"Why didn’t he go for help — why ask you? You’d think he’d want to know who his friends  
were, so he could surround himself with them — and maximize his chances of getting his  
memories back."  
"Dad — I know — but that isn’t what he wanted to do. I think he was afraid that he would  
be bombarded by people wanting answers — and that it would take away from his ability  
to get answers of his own. We were on a deadline, you know."  
"Well exactly — a deadline — so why not give yourself an even greater chance by calling in  
someone like Perry White? You could have done that without attracting a lot of media  
attention — you know how to avoid media attention, being in the business yourself."  
"I suggested it — but he … he just didn’t want to do it."  
"And, hell," interjected Lucy, trying to help her sister out, "if a super-powered man of  
steel doesn’t want to do something…" she faded out as she realized what she was saying.  
<<Nice going, Lucy.>>  
She looked apologetically at her sister, only to be surprised by Lois’s grateful smile.  
"So what finally trigged his memory," Eleanor asked.  
"Uh — I don’t… know — really — but… boy, whatever it was, it really did happen just in  
time."  
Sam looked at her suspiciously. His expression said plainly:  
<<You’re lying.>>  
"So the asteroid isn’t a threat — all of it is gone?"  
"Yes."  
"Did you get the story? Are you going to –"  
"Not yet — although he offered me the exclusive — sort of as thanks — for helping him  
out. I mean — really — he doesn’t need to thank me — he saved the world from possible  
destruction. But I’m not an idiot — I’ll take the exclusive on the biggest story in my  
career."  
"Oh really? So you’re meeting up with him later?" Lucy’s voice held a wealth of curiosity.  
"Yes. After… he’s really tired. I guess — who wouldn’t be. So he asked me if we could do  
it later on."  
"Lois…"  
"Mom."  
"Are… are you sure that’s a good idea? It couldn’t have been easy for you — spending so  
much time with him… Lois — I know — your dad told me –"  
"Right — right. I know he did. I figured he would. Look mom — yes — it wasn’t easy — but  
it had to be done, and in the end — well — I think — it’s good I did spend that time with  
him. He doesn’t — freak me out as much anymore."  
"Oh. Well — that is good to hear, but –"  
"And this other thing — this exclusive — this is what I do. I am not going to turn away the  
best story to ever come my way just because I might find the interviewee a little  
intimidating."  
"Okay — you know best. I just -"  
"Worry. I know. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be snappish. It’s just — a good reporter doesn’t  
let personal feelings affect how she handles a story. I never have, and I never will."  
"When are you meeting him?"  
"Tonight."  
"Where," asked Lucy.  
"We haven’t really nailed down that detail. Why all the questions?" Her voice was irritated.  
"Sorry. I was just curious."  
"I — I just don’t know. Look — can we talk about something else now? I’m tired — tired of  
the asteroid, and tired of talking about myself. I just want to think about something else  
for a while — okay?"  
Later on, when she found her sister alone, Lois came over and sat beside her on the sofa.  
"How are you doing, Lucy? I know these last days have been very stressful."  
"I’m doing okay. A lot to think about — a lot to recover from — but — doing okay. Are you  
okay?"  
"Yes. I think I — I think I am."  
Something in her voice made Lucy sit up and take closer notice.  
"What… are — are you willing to talk about what happened with me? Now that mom and  
dad aren’t here?"  
She twisted her lips in a mirthless smile. "Only some of it, I think. I do need someone to  
talk to."  
"I’m listening."  
"I broke into his apartment, because I was afraid of Lex Luthor. I was afraid that without  
Clark there to come to the rescue, Luthor might… I have reason to believe that Luthor is  
stalking me."  
"Lois!"  
"And that he would… do me harm … if the asteroid hit — and the world changed… and  
the laws we live by — fell by the wayside … I felt certain that Luthor, if alive, would not  
hesitate to… well — enslave me — if he could."  
"Oh my god."  
"He’s made it clear that he wants me, and I’ve come to believe that Luthor is a dangerous  
man — a man who seeks to control…to dominate and possess… he doesn’t want me at  
his side — he wants to… own me."  
"He’s horrible."  
"He made a pass at me once… when I was really at his mercy. Superman intervened. I’m  
not sure what would have happened if he hadn’t."  
"Lois! That’s awful — you — you never told me."  
"I didn’t want to talk about it, it was too — awful — and ugly — I didn’t want to relive it in  
the retelling. I didn’t want to relive other things either. The associations were … it’s hard  
to explain."  
"No — no — I understand. But talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Luthor  
trying to make a move, and Superman there to help you. You probably felt -"  
She let out a sharp breath. "It was pretty awful. I was still very wary about Clark and his  
motives, and so — the whole …encounter… was pretty bad. Clark actually tried to give me  
a briefcase full of evidence that he and Perry had amassed against Luthor, but I kind of  
freaked out on him…"  
"Freaked out…?"  
"Had a major panic attack. Right in front of him. Ugh. It was pretty bad. The short of it is  
— I didn’t get the briefcase, and didn’t realize until later, how much I wanted it."  
"So you broke into his apartment, figuring he was either dead, or  
way out in space-"  
"Figuring he was no longer there to help keep Luthor away from me. I knew that it was  
now up to me to stop Luthor- and this was the best line of defense that I had."  
"So what happened?"  
"He was there — in his apartment — he had just arrived, I think."  
"Yikes. So did he think you were an intruder?"  
"Oh, yes. Yes, he did. And even worse – he thought I had something to do with his current  
state of amnesia. He had assumed that someone had tried to kill him, and when I broke  
in, he thought that I somehow must have had something to do with it. He was pretty  
angry at first, and — he — he wouldn’t let me leave." She winced a little at the memory.  
"Oh my god! Lois — that must have been terrifying for you."  
"Major understatement," she said emphatically. "I finally managed to convince him of what  
was really going on — the television helped in that regard — and then — he asked me to  
help him get his memories back. He — uh – he seemed pretty convinced that I could do it.  
It’s like he … almost like his memories were being suppressed because of me."  
"What do you mean?"’  
"It’s almost as if he didn’t want to know — know what had happened to me- what his  
involvement was…"  
"But — he wasn’t involved. He would have saved you in an instant if he could have — if he  
had known –"  
"I think — because I link him to… the other… it may have been less difficult for him to —  
to just let it all go. Who knows how much my articles have hurt him, or how much my  
reaction hurts him? Did he ever talk to you about it?"  
"Not in so many words," she hedged, "but, I do think you are on to something."  
"Right — because he is in love with my doppelganger, so it must have been really painful  
for him to have me treat him that way — like he’s a monster. Just like it’s been really hard  
for me to see him as anything but a monster."  
"I’m not sure he’s in love with her… but I do think he — valued her a lot — and that…  
yeah — it did hurt him lot to know that you would always think of him as…"  
"Lord Kal-El," she said venomously.  
"Right."  
"Well — so maybe that, along with whatever physical trauma, was what caused him to not  
know who he was. Anyway — he seemed absolutely certain that I was somehow the key —  
that somehow I could help him. I didn’t want to — but I felt like I had no choice. The  
asteroid was bigger than my fear of him. So…I agreed to help him out.  
"How did that go?"  
She grimaced. "Not — so well. I was trying really hard to hide the fact that he scared the  
hell out of me, but he picked up on it… my reaction when I first saw him wasn’t so good. I  
panicked when I first saw him and I think that just stuck in his mind. He kept trying to ask  
me about it — but I didn’t want to talk about it. I was afraid that if I did, those memories  
would take over, and I’d be… I’d be lost."  
"That’s understandable," Lucy said gently.  
"I finally pointed him to the internet — which turned out to be… well — I guess a good  
move, in the end. But he found my articles. I didn’t think about that possibility. He found  
my articles…"  
"Was he angry? Oh — Lois –"  
"No! No — he was confused. And the articles just pushed him into direct confrontation  
with me. He had been willing to walk on eggshells when it came to my refusal to talk  
about why I had reacted so badly upon first seeing him, but after he saw the articles, it  
was too clear to him that I had negative feelings towards him. I think he thought I was  
hiding some awful truth about him — and he just needed to get the answers. It kind of  
got a little bad at that point. I tried to leave — I was willing to leave — to let the asteroid  
collide with the earth, rather than face my past."  
"Lois — you can’t blame yourself — you were in an emotional state, I’m sure, and you  
were afraid- I can understand that — because if you got lost in those memories — then it  
would be like going back to that world — it makes sense –"  
"It’s still… it was selfish, Lucy. He even tried to tell me that –"  
"He did WHAT?"  
"Don’t — don’t get all outraged on my behalf. I think he feels really badly about it now,  
but at the time, he didn’t know what I’d been through. How could he have known, when I  
wouldn’t talk about it? So he — he pushed. I tried to leave — and he — he wouldn’t let  
me."  
"He wouldn’t let you leave?"  
"No."  
"Oh — oh — god — it must have been so hard for you — like being back there- to be held  
against your will."  
She smiled mirthlessly. "Yes. Precisely. But again — he didn’t know. After that… well… it  
didn’t take long for those memories to just … to win. Before I knew it — they were on me  
–I was — bombarded. All those awful — awful — deep and dark and ugly memories —  
they just flooded through my mind — and stole all sense of reality and reason. I had a …  
well — a breakdown — I guess. I just lost control. And that’s what did it… it triggered his  
memories… and he was able to stop the asteroid."  
"He just left you like that?"  
"He didn’t want to — Lucy — he had to."  
"So… so then what happened? How did you come out of it?"  
"I just did — it was like a flashback — you know — like when war veterans have them — it  
never was the case that it would consume me. I just had feared it would, but when it was  
all over, I was … still me. I was still here, and aware that I was here. I think if I hadn’t  
spent all this time pushing it all away, it might have not been so bad — but because I had,  
it was like a tidal wave. But…I’m still standing."  
"So…"  
"So I was extremely fatigued by what had happened, and I just fell asleep where I had  
dropped… which is what I did when I had  
the attack — I just kind of fell to the floor –"  
"So he left you — on the floor-"  
"Lucy — he gave me this afghan."  
"As a parting gift — I don’t understand?"  
"No, silly. He covered me with it, while I was having my… episode. So when I came back to  
reality, I just kind of fell asleep — covered in a comforter that his mom must have made."  
"That’s… really… sweet."  
"When he came back, he actually tried to move me to the couch without waking me up —  
but I did — and after a brief and rather awkward conversation, I left."  
"Wow…"  
"Yeah."  
"So — how do you feel about him now?"  
"Well — I guess you can say ‘I told you so’, because I don’t think he’s anything like Kal-El.  
But… don’t start weaving a fairy tale for us. I’m not about to suddenly see him as Prince  
Charming either. I doubt very much if I’ll ever see any man that way again. But… I won’t  
be writing my negative article series any more… and I’ll probably be able to deal with him  
in much calmer way. We’re colleagues — maybe we can even work together in trying to  
bring Luthor down."  
"Hmmm."  
"What does that mean?"  
"Just — Hmmm."  
"Lucy…" her tone was warning. Before she could continue, her phone rang. Looking down  
at the caller-id, she saw that it was Clark.  
Hours later, she was pacing the floor of her living room.  
Nervously she waited for him to show up.  
<<I should have asked if he was going to fly here or come to the door.>>  
She eyed both her balcony door and her front door with equal trepidation.  
<<Why am I so nervous? Scratch that… of course — I’m nervous — but everything will be  
okay. The truth is, I’m safer with him here than I am at any other time. >>  
She took a deep, ragged, steadying breath, and started to drink down her second glass of  
merlot. I shouldn’t be drinking alone. Images of her mother haunted her with each sip.  
<<But don’t I have the right — don’t I have every reason? This isn’t alcoholism — this is  
just …courage. I don’t have a problem, and I won’t have a problem. But isn’t that how  
mom looked at it? Oh god — what if it is hereditary. What if I’m setting myself up to  
become like the way she was? >>  
A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. Her hand trembled uncontrollably  
as she set the wine glass down, and clenching her fists to get them under control, she  
forced herself to go to the door. She looked out the peephole and saw that it was him. He  
was dressed like any normal man would be, and he was carrying a bottle of wine. A  
mirthless laugh rose up in her throat at the sight of the bottle.  
<<Oh great. Lead me not into temptation — I can find it myself. Maybe he’s nervous too. I  
wonder if alcohol affects him? I’m hoping not… I don’t want to deal with an inebriated  
Kryptonian.>>  
She forced herself to clasp the doorknob, and turn the handle as she undid the deadbolt.  
<<One step at a time. Just remember to inhale, and then exhale. Repeat as needed.>>  
The door was open, and she looked at her visitor with what she hoped was a welcoming  
smile. She didn’t feel welcoming. In fact, she felt sick — her body felt about 10 degrees  
warmer, and she was almost certain that her eyeballs were now perspiring. She was  
trembling, and that just added to her nerves — she so desperately wanted to get that  
trembling under control.  
<<Stop it!! Stop it this instant!>>  
"You… you didn’t fly?"  
"Well, actually, I did. But I figured you’d prefer me to arrive this way –rather than coming  
to your window."  
<<I do. And that was insightful of you.>>  
"Oh — it would have been six of one, half dozen of the other," she lied, feeling shame at  
the blatancy of her falsehood. "Why- why don’t you come in."  
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to step away from the door, opening up the  
space so he could come into her apartment. Her heartbeat seemed to double in its rate,  
and she felt dizzy, and heard a ringing in her ears.  
<<Dear god. Do not let me faint. Why am I panicking? I was fine when I last saw him — so  
why this reaction now? It’s almost like I need to be around him for a while before I can act  
even remotely normal in his presence. I have no immunity, and every time I see him, the  
feelings of menace… they’re so fresh. Will I ever be able to overcome that? >>  
He took a few steps in, and stopped once he had cleared the door way. He waited  
nervously for her next move, unwilling to be the one who closed the door. He didn’t want  
to feel like he was locking her in with him. A stab of guilt ran through him as he  
remembered that he had, in fact, locked her in with him just one day ago. His reaction  
was obvious to her, and she knew that she hadn’t fooled him with her ill-achieved  
attempt at ‘acting casual’.  
"I’m okay –" she said abruptly, forestalling any attempts on his part to ask how she was  
doing.  
"Okay…"  
"No. Really. I’m okay. I’m glad you’re here." Her voice was firm, as if she was trying to  
convince herself of the veracity of her words.  
"It’s — uh — it’s good to be here. Here," he thrust the bottle of wine awkwardly towards  
her and she took it automatically.  
"Thanks… you know — you didn’t have to –"  
"I know. This is an interview — and normally, I wouldn’t — but after yesterday — I feel  
kind of like we’ve known each other for a million years, and it seemed like it would be the  
right thing — the polite thing — you know?"  
"Wine… wine is good. Actually — I –"  
<<I started without you.>>  
"I have a bottle already open. Um — it’s breathing. I wasn’t sure if you drank or not — but  
…"  
<<I needed the strength to face you.>>  
"Well — I don’t drink much, only because I never know when I will have to go and …"  
"Stop an asteroid from hitting a planet?"  
"Yeah — or — you know — get a cat out of a tree," he said, lightly, trying to keep up the  
light banter.  
<<She’s trying so hard to be normal. Best I can do is play along.>>  
"Does … does alcohol affect you at all?"  
"Don’t –"  
He stopped short. Horribly, he found himself on the verge of asking her ‘Don’t you know?’  
"I don’t know. I — never tried to find out."  
A flush rose on her face as she realized what he had been about to say.  
<<Of course. Which one of us here knows the most about his species?>>  
She turned to put the bottle down, using that maneuver as a chance to get out of this  
awkward turn of conversation.  
"Did you manage to get the sleep you need?"  
"Enough …"  
"Do — do you want to postpone this? I mean — if you’re still exhausted –"  
"No — no, I’m fine. Thanks. You know how you just get to a point where, no matter how  
tired you are you just can’t rest anymore? That’s how I feel right now."  
"Right. Well… do you want to get started? Do… did you want a glass of wine?"  
<<Yes.>>  
"Well — not to be rude — but I think I’ll pass… I am tired, and with my luck, a single glass  
would be enough to make it worse."  
"Coffee?"  
"Sure!"  
"Okay — one moment –" she wandered to the kitchen, feeling relieved to be able to put  
some distance between them.  
<<Calm down. I can do this. He’s not a threat, so why do I feel so threatened?>>  
She poured the coffee that she had made earlier and brought it out.  
"Hope you like it –" she offered him a mug. "Yours was really good and I’m not sure mine  
comes close."  
"Thanks!! I’m not sure about caffeine, if it’s physiological or psychological with me — but  
it really does seem to help."  
"Helps me too. I can’t tell you how many times my stories were written in a caffeine  
induced high."  
"This is great coffee." "Thanks."  
Another horrible thought hit him. Did she have to cook for him?  
<<What if she made him coffee? What if her life depended on how good it was? Does this  
make her think of that? Of him? Of serving him? I shouldn’t have said yes to the coffee — I  
should have brought her coffee — or made it for her. But that would have been strange —  
it’s her apartment… so I should have brought it. Would have been less intimate than a  
bottle of wine. I wish I could do this over again. >>  
He lifted his eyes from his mug, and looked at her carefully. To his great surprise, she had  
been studying him intently. The moment their eyes met, she looked away, once again —  
her startle/fear response took over.  
"Did… did you have any questions in mind or did you just want me to tell you about it?"  
"I think… maybe you could just tell me about it, and then I could ask more specific  
questions."  
"Okay. "  
A while later, he finished his story by saying, "And then, I flew back home. The rest of it is  
pretty standard stuff."  
"Standard, if flying through space is standard for you."  
"Well – right. I guess I can tell you that the Earth looks really beautiful from space. Not  
that it isn’t beautiful from Earth — but the sight of it from space is the stuff dreams are  
made from."  
"I’ve always wondered what that would be like — seeing the earth from the perspective of  
the astronauts."  
"It’s spectacular."  
<<I wish I could show it to you.>>  
"Were… were you scared?"  
"Oh, definitely."  
"Not just for Earth — were you afraid for yourself? What did it feel like, facing that asteroid  
— seeing it in all its rage and fury?"  
<<Now, why did I have to choose those words? Now I’m thinking about Kal-El again.  
Great job, Lois.>>  
He saw her flinch at her own choice of words, and hastily answered her question, to try to  
take her mind of her grimmer thoughts. "Yes — yes, I was afraid — afraid for myself. The  
first attempt was scarier than the second. The first time around, I had no idea if I could  
survive an encounter with the thing… I didn’t really know if I would feel the pain of  
collision, or if I would get burned –" he stopped talking, knowing that this line of  
conversation must be bothering her. "Uh… and then the second time, I guess I was more  
worried that I would fail like I had the first time."  
She was silent for a few long seconds, trying to break free from some of the memories  
that his words had dredged up.  
<<Say something. You have to say something. Now. What did he just say? He failed the  
first time? >>  
"What did you do differently — why didn’t you … fail — the second time?"  
"Well — I used a different strategy. The first time, I basically tried to fly into the thing. The  
second time out, I was dealing with smaller pieces of the asteroid, for one thing — but  
also — I  
knew that colliding into it would very likely knock me out again, so I decided to try using  
my heat vision to make it explode."  
She winced at the image.  
<<Heat vision. Oh cripes. Why did I have to mention my heat vision? She has a very real  
reminder of the kind of damage heat vision can do — and I probably just reminded her of  
that. >>  
Before he could stop himself, he found himself apologizing.  
Startled, she looked directly into his eyes.  
"No — you don’t have to be sorry. I asked you the questions — you’re just giving me the  
answers I was seeking."  
"But… I’m sure this is painful to hear."  
<<What am I doing? She doesn’t want to talk about this — especially with me!>>  
"I’ll be okay," she said nervously, her eyes sliding away from his once again.  
"I just … I feel … really badly –"  
"Well, I do too," she said hastily. "I’m — I’m sorry. I interrupted you — I — I –"  
<<She’s getting agitated again.>>  
"That’s okay. No problem. Please… go on. Um — if you want to, that is."  
"I — I –"  
She felt like a vise had suddenly tightened around her lungs, heart and stomach. The old  
and very familiar attack of dread resurfaced. She hated how her body could suddenly feel  
so terrible. She hated being at the mercy of her emotions and memories the way she was.  
"I have something I want to say to you," she blurted out before she could stop herself.  
He waited in silence, knowing that this entire conversation was a struggle for her.  
"I wanted to tell you… how … sorry I am, about what happened. I feel really… really badly  
about how I behaved."  
"You — you don’t have any reason to — you didn’t … you didn’t do anything wrong."  
<<It was all me, Lois. I’m the one who should apologize.>>  
She turned back to face him, but spoke to his shoes. "I … almost … the asteroid nearly —  
you kept asking me to help you — and I refused. You managed to save us all, but not  
through any help from me. If anything, I hindered your efforts."  
"Lois — come on — you — had every good reason to not want to talk about it. You were…  
you were afraid of what it would do to you."  
"No — please — let me finish. You – you were absolutely right when you said that I was …  
putting my own needs ahead of those of the world. I can’t believe I acted that way. You  
knew that I was the key, that the truths I was hiding were key to unlocking your  
memories, and yet — I refused to even consider the possibility. And you were right, and  
the worst part is- I think I knew that you were right — at the time, and I still wouldn’t do  
it — wouldn’t tell you — wouldn’t talk about it. I felt that if I did, I’d get lost and never  
find my way back. And I decided that it would be better to die — hell — to let the whole  
world die — than to go back into that place… and that really is unforgivable."  
"I don’t think so. I honestly believe you thought we could get my memories back without  
going down that path. And I don’t blame you for feeling how you did about it. Dear god —  
who wouldn’t want to avoid getting lost in those memories. You’ve been through  
something horrifying, and anyone would do pretty much anything to avoid getting stuck  
back there –even if it was being stuck there via your memories. I don’t see you as culpable  
at all. I am the one who owes you the big apology."  
"Well… I don’t think –"  
"Lois," he said softly. "I … I wouldn’t let you leave." He paused, and she could see the pain  
in his eyes at the recollection. "How… how different from him am I really if I would use my  
strength and abilities to hold you here against your will. I disregarded what you wanted —  
what you needed. I did it by being a bully. I — I can’t forgive myself that."  
<<Are we really going to do this? Talk about this? Shouldn’t I back off from this?>>  
"I don’t –"  
"I know — I’m sorry — you probably don’t want to talk about it — I don’t want to make  
things worse for you, but I just –"  
"No — I mean — I don’t blame you. You were desperate to get your memories back so you  
could save the world. You did the right thing."  
Her answer took him off guard. "But –"  
"I am not going to lie to you and say that parts of our time together weren’t… really bad  
for me. But I understand why you felt that you had to act as you did."  
"I acted pretty badly even before I knew about the imminent threat."  
"Clark — you were afraid — you were afraid of me. That’s a first… but… understandable  
too. You felt menaced, and I was an intruder. Please — you have to forgive yourself for  
that. I do — I don’t feel like you –" she paused, and then took a deep and shaky breath.  
"You aren’t anything like Lord Kal-El."  
After a long and uncomfortable silence, she spoke again, this time, her voice unsure.  
"Uh – sorry. That was … that was kind of a dumb thing to say, wasn’t it? Of course – you  
aren’t like him – you know – you *know* who you are – and what you are like – you don’t  
need my validation, of all things…"  
"No! No – please – please don’t take my… my silence for anything more than what it really  
is. I’m – well – I’m kind of shell-shocked at this point, to be honest."  
"Shell-shocked?"  
"Since you came… since I first met you – well – it’s not like we’ve been friends or anything  
– but this topic – this whole thing has kind of been hanging in the air between us. We  
never – we never talk about it -" He stopped and looked at her apologetically. "Well – not  
until I kept haranguing you to talk about it."  
"Please, Clark – I told you – I’m not upset about that -"  
"I know – I know – that’s very – generous of you. But I still feel like I should be avoiding  
the whole thing – pretending like we are two regular and ordinary people who know each  
other, have friends in common – you know the drill."  
"And … I’ve shocked you by blurting out – blurting out his name, I guess -"  
"Making him real. Something that we can talk about… *are* talking about."  
"Well – to be truthful," she said, looking at him apologetically, "I’m not really ready to talk  
about it. Baby steps, I think… I -" she stopped, and shook her head as if to dislodge the  
ugly memories. "I just can’t. I – I – I -"  
She was unable to continue. She could hear herself talking, and desperately wanted to  
stop.  
<<Stop the noise. Stop all that… emoting. Stop>>  
She exhaled roughly and then wearily placed her head in her hands as she massaged  
closed eyelids with her fingertips. It was a universal gesture of weariness.  
<<I’m drunk.>>  
This thought came hazily into her minds-view. Since he had arrived, she had battled the  
encroaching sensation of being disconnected with her body, but the feeling kept growing,  
almost in direct proportion to the effort she put into suppressing it.  
"Lois – It’s okay. It really is – you can talk about things – or not. It’s entirely up to you. You  
control that – you are in control of what you say and do."  
She looked up at him and stared for a long moment into his face, and then barked out a  
short and mirthless laugh.  
"God – anything but. I’ve… I had a little wine before you came over."  
He fought back a smile at the vast understatement. He had seen the level of alcohol left in  
that uncorked bottle, and he knew that she had to be feeling pretty buzzed by now.  
"Why don’t I let you sleep it off."  
"No – no – please – don’t feel you have to leave because – " she faltered uncertainly. Why  
don’t I want him to leave?  
He looked at her closely.  
"Do you *not* want me to leave?"  
Her eyes flickered uneasily to his face, and then flickered away again. I don’t know what I  
want.  
"I … I just don’t know."  
"Are you afraid to be alone? Has – has Luthor been bothering you again?"  
"Oh – no – no – he hasn’t."  
"You do know that if you need my help – anytime at all – all you really have to do is call. I  
don’t even mean by phone – just call for help and if it’s possible, I’ll be here as fast as I  
can. The only thing that would stop me would be some other pressing disaster – and it  
would have to be life-threatening -you know? Otherwise, I’d be here. You don’t have to  
worry about false alarms, either. I trust your instincts – if you feel you’re in danger, call  
me. Please."  
<<A little too eager, there? At least I shouldn’t make it sound like an imperative.>>  
"Thank you. Thank you very much. How do you do that? Hear a cry for help over all the  
other stuff – do you listen that closely all the time?"  
"God no – that would kill me. Too much information, and it’s kind of a respect/privacy  
thing. I’d hate to hear things that aren’t meant to be heard."  
"Then – well – isn’t there a chance that if – say – I was in trouble – and I called -how would  
you hear it."  
<<Oh great. Cast doubts over his sincerity or his capabilities. Way to make friends,  
Lois.>>  
"What if you called for help mentally? I … I don’t want to upset you here, but you seem to  
have the ability to transmit your distress to me – I’ve heard it before."  
"Oh -that. Yeah. That. Well – let me try it…" She concentrated hard on screaming for help  
in his head, and saw him recoil in shock. Abruptly she stopped her broadcast and  
immediately apologized.  
"No – no – it’s okay – but… whoa. That’s just the freakiest thing," he said, unthinkingly,  
looking at her in stunned amazement.  
His words stung. She wasn’t a freak — just the victim of circumstance.  
"You’re calling me a freak? Which one of us is the ‘Strange visitor from another planet?"  
As soon as the words left her lips she regretted them. She had been unforgivably rude to  
someone who had only been trying to help her. The alcohol had dropped her inhibitions  
to an extent, but she didn’t want them so far dropped that she unleashed her anger  
against Kal-El and his ilk on this man who had never done anything to deserve it. The  
instant she said what she said, she saw his expression change – she saw a flash of hurt,  
and then, a more shuttered, impassive expression take its place.  
"So you’ve heard that phrase. Makes a good media sound-bite."  
"I didn’t mean – I’m sorry. I’m … I’m just sorry."  
"It’s okay. I’m kind of used to it anyway."  
"See – now that just makes me feel worse."  
He smiled sheepishly. "I think I knew it would. Look – I really mean it – no need to be  
sorry."  
"Has… has it been strange for you? Being here – an alien surrounded by humans?"  
<<I can’t believe I just asked him that.>>  
"At times. It was a lot easier before I revealed my true origins. It was hard growing up with  
it and living with it – and it certainly put a damper in my relationship with Lana – but… in  
the end- I’d have to say that it got a lot harder once everyone knew."  
"Why did you decide to tell people?"  
"Off or on the record…"  
"Off – completely off."  
"She came here. You know – she – your counterpart, and she needed my help. She was so  
accepting of my abilities – so… well – she talked a really good game. Made it sound like  
the noble thing to do. I got caught up in it all – in her acceptance of me – heck, more than  
that – it was as if she appreciated me all the more for it – not because of the power or the  
fame – but because of the ability to make people’s lives better – she made me see that  
being open with my abilities would enable me to help so many more people."  
"People… Men… have done similar things for … for a woman. Look at the Taj Mahal"  
"It wasn’t … it was more than that. She made me feel like I belonged, and nothing had  
ever made me feel that way before. Nothing and no-one."  
<<Did you love her? Oh god. Don’t ask that. Don’t – shut up -just don’t ask that  
question.>>  
"So you trusted her – her vision."  
"Well – she did tell me that I could have a secret identity. That it worked for him – that  
people didn’t recognize that Superman and Clark were the same guy."  
"Did he wear a mask, or -"  
"Just glasses."  
"That’s it? I mean – how … you’d have to be pretty blind – or… stupid -"  
"Well don’t tell her that!"  
"She didn’t know?"  
"No – not for a few years… and wow – she was mad when she found out. But it ended up  
that she forgave him, and they worked through it."  
"So… what happened?"  
"Uh – well… Tempus happened."  
"Oh."  
"I’m sorry – I’m sure you don’t want to talk about -"  
"No – I asked. It’s okay. So – Tempus screwed up your best-laid plans, and you ended up  
with the big scarlet letter – A for alien – and I guess – you’ve felt more isolated than ever

before."  
"You’re pretty darned perceptive."  
"I’m a reporter – it comes with the territory."  
"Yes – well -that’s exactly how I felt. And then – she left – went back home."  
<<I won’t tell you that I asked her to stay. Begged her.>>  
"And that feeling of belonging, well – it went back with her."  
<<And that’s why you looked for me. You wanted to see if you could feel it again – with  
me.>>  
"Are you sorry? Do you wish you’d stayed incognito?"  
"You know – many times I’ve thought about it… but in the end, despite the random  
moments of regret and even resentment, I am overall pretty glad that things turned out as  
they did."  
"Resentment? You resent…her?"  
"Sometimes. And him too."  
"Do you still resent her? Do… do you resent me – for not – for not being her? Or anything  
like her?"  
"You are very much like her."  
<<Careful. Careful there, boy.>>  
<<What does he mean by that?>>  
"I – well – I mean – like – how she made you feel like you belonged. I think I’ve done the  
exact opposite."  
"Oh – well – yeah -that’s different. No – I don’t resent you – not one bit. I despise Tempus  
and all those other people who hurt you the way they did… but I don’t bear you any ill  
will. I hope you believe me when I say that. "  
"I – I do. I admit – for a while – I was kind of worried about that… especially in light of my  
articles… but since being back as long as I have, I’ve finally come to see that you are  
really the last person I have to worry about."  
<<Those words were hard for you to say. I appreciate them. >>  
"I’m really glad to hear that." He stood up, and said with some amount of regret – "I think I  
really do need to go now. If you are okay with that – of course."  
"Yes – yes – of course." She stood up too, swaying uncertainly as she did.  
"Are – are you okay?" His voice was full of concern.  
"Nothing that bed won’t cure." As soon as she said the words, she flushed scarlet at the  
double meaning.  
<<No comment! >>  
"Do… do you mind if I leave -" He gestured at the balcony.  
"No! By all means – please – feel free."  
He walked over and then paused to look back at her.  
"Can I ask you something," she blurted out.  
"Sure."  
"Are you… are you seeing someone?"  
<<Now why did I ask him that?>>  
"Uh…"  
"I’m sorry. It’s just… I wanted to know if my coming back didn’t … make things strange. I  
mean – you – your relationship with Lana broke up because of Lois -the other Lois – and -  
"  
He smiled at her reassuringly. "I’m not. Really. Not. Not since Lana – Lana and I – we were  
going to be married. Lois didn’t wreck that – it was already a bad relationship. Lana hated  
the fact that I was different, and it wouldn’t have been a good time for either one of us  
again – I’d have ended up resenting her for constantly trying to put limits on the amount  
of help I could give people, and she would have resented me for not putting her feelings  
on the matter first."  
"And… and you love her? This other Lois? Is this why you haven’t gotten involved with  
anyone else?"  
"I’m not in love with her. Not romantically. I thought I was… but it turned out to be a kind  
of reflected glory sort of thing."  
"Oh."  
<<Besides. I love you >>  
"Is it okay with you if I …"  
"Yes – by all means!"  
He suddenly vanished into a swirl of colors, and just as quickly as he had vanished, he  
reappeared, or rather, Superman did.  
The breath caught in her throat, and she felt as if someone had struck her hard. She  
struggled to remain standing and to keep her feelings from her face. She couldn’t help  
herself. Seeing him like that always made her feel like she was in the presence of Kal-El –  
despite the complete difference in demeanor and stance – he seemed so alien like that –  
and she felt so vulnerable and at his mercy.  
<<He could kill me. With just a glance.>>  
"Oh," she breathed out in shock. "That’s… that’s – that’s quite a party trick," she said, her  
eyes refusing to meet his.  
<<I should have taken the door. It’s like a magical spell – turn into Superman and watch  
her lose all her poise and confidence.>>  
Her reaction broke his heart. It was terrible to see her turn into this frightened person –  
especially when she had been much more at ease with him just seconds before.  
Desperately he sought away to bring back the sense of camaraderie that had been there  
earlier.  
"You know… I feel kind of like a circus performer when I’m dressed like this. It… it wasn’t  
really my first choice."  
"Oh. Uh – um – did… did she…"  
"She said that his mother designed this… god only knows why. I can’t imagine my mother  
thinking this would be something anyone should wear in public – but… well – there you  
have it. It took a while for me to be able to go out like this, and not completely feel like an  
idiot. What people must think? I can only imagine – I just try not to think about it too  
much."  
"Well… it is conspicuous."  
"She said that it was part of what made it easy for him to keep his lives separate – people  
kind of get blind, I guess by all this color." He smiled, clearly making a joke.  
She found herself smiling back in response. "Right – there is that."  
<<Also – it’s very form fitting. >>  
"Well – bye – and take good care of yourself. Let me know if you need me for anything…  
you know – Luthor, or just moving furniture…"  
She smiled again. "I promise not to call you for the latter – you have more important  
things going on in your life. But thank you very much – for everything – and for this  
interview. "  
He nodded, and then turned and disappeared out the window, into the night.  
The next day, she decided to go see Perry and fill him in on her change of heart as far as  
Clark was concerned. It seemed to her that she owed him that, given the long hours she  
had bent his ears trying to convince him that Clark had a nefarious ulterior motive.  
She breezed past his secretary, ignoring her feeble protests, and burst into Perry’s office,  
feeling more energized than she had in years. The wind was abruptly taken out of her  
sails when she saw who was in his office.  
It was Clark, and his expression was a mixture of grim impatience and anger. The  
combination caught her off guard – looking like that, he reminded her very much of Kal-  
El. Her eyes were frozen to his face, and for a seemingly eternal moment, she felt as if she  
should start somehow begging his forgiveness – a pointless exercise whenever she had  
tried it, back in that other world.  
<<What have I done, to make you so angry? >>  
He was in the middle of a frustrating conversation with Perry about their mutual enemy,  
Lex. Lex, it seemed had struck again, perpetuating more dirty work without getting a drop  
of grime on his own well-manicured hands. Clark hated the feeling of helplessness that  
assailed him whenever he came up against any of Luthor’s rotten schemes.  
But then, she was there, and standing right in front of him. It seemed a dream – how  
could have possibly have gotten so lucky as to see her again so soon after the last time?  
Joy suffused through him, and before he could stop himself, a broad grin spread across  
his face.  
<<It’s you! I’m here with you! I’m so happy to see you again!>>  
She registered the change in expression with a mixture of shock and pleasure. The  
nascent feelings of dread and panic gave way, to a different feeling, one that she hardly  
recognized.  
Pleasure. She felt a wholly unexpected burst of joy at seeing that big and beautiful smile  
on his face. Kal-El had certainly never looked like that – when Clark did that, smiled so  
brightly and beneficently, it was as if there was no resemblance at all between the two  
men.  
<<That smile. Look at that smile — it lights up the whole room. And it’s meant for me! He  
makes me feel so welcome with that smile — as if — as if I… belonged! That’s the word —  
like he said she made him feel — that’s how I feel now. How is that possible — especially  
when I felt so panic-stricken moments before? What is it about this man that he can bring  
me from one extreme to another?>>  
Perry looked at the two of them in confusion. He cleared his throat.  
"Someone want to fill me in here?"  
Lois turned, and looked at him, still slightly awestruck by that feeling seeing Clark had  
given her.  
"Perry -"  
"When did you two become friends?" He prompted after her abbreviated greeting.  
"Well – we aren’t exactly friends," said Clark. He regretted the words as soon as he said  
them, when he saw the look of stung hurt appear and then disappear from her eyes. "Well  
– what I mean to say is – we are … on the way to becoming friends – wouldn’t you say so,  
Lois?"  
"Yeah," she said, her voice still vaguely bemused.  
"Okay – but last time I heard…" Perry trailed off delicately, not wanting to stir things up,  
yet burning with curiosity.  
"Can’t a top-notch reporter make mistakes once in a while?"  
"What happened?" Perry’s voice was quiet, and insistent.  
<<Enough games, you two.>>  
"Can… can I tell him?" Her eyes darted back to Clark’s, unsure of how to proceed.  
"Lois — of course – you can say whatever you want about the matter. But aren’t you afraid  
he might scoop you on the asteroid story?" Clark was trying to keep the mood light — he  
knew that she had been uncomfortable at his earlier show of anger, and he didn’t want to  
do anything to trigger any negative feelings. He was rewarded by a small smile.  
<<Not as amazing as that earlier smile, but it will do. It’ll do just fine.>>  
"It’s a long story, Perry – so I hope you have some free time."  
"I have all the time in the world, for you two."  
"Well, it all started when I broke into his apartment."  
"Why doesn’t this surprise me," asked Perry rhetorically.  
"He was presumed dead, and I had reason to believe that Luthor was an imminent  
personal threat," her voice got serious and her expression darkened at the thought.  
"Lois – what did he do?"  
"He… he’s been watching me. Stalking me. He had a complete replica of my apartment  
made – down to the very tiniest detail – in this creepy bunker of his – and he wanted me  
to live with him there, as his … ugh – I can’t even say it — as… his -"  
"Concubine," offered Perry.  
Her head whipped up and she looked at him, staggered and shocked.  
"Uh… what did I say?"  
"I’m sorry … that’s… that was the euphemism for… for us… slaves," she said bitterly.  
"Oh. Oh. I’m sorry. I’m -" He looked over at Clark to gauge the other man’s reaction and  
noticed that Clark’s hands were now clenched. Fists of rage. Deadly fists of rage.  
Lois noticed it to, and in an instant she stiffened, her eyes on his fists, mesmerized.  
<<I remember those fists. >>  
"Son," said Perry, "Maybe you should — ah – relax a bit," he muttered in a very low voice  
intended only for Clark to hear.  
Clark was startled out of his impending anger by Perry’s words and Lois’s reaction.  
"I’m sorry. I’m sorry -"  
She inhaled and then exhaled forcefully.  
"Concubine – I guess that’s a good word for what he wanted. I – I haven’t felt so …  
menaced… since – well, in a long time. Anyway, I … wanted that briefcase that Clark had  
offered – and that I had so unceremoniously refused. And – thinking that Clark was dead,"  
she looked over at him ruefully, "I broke in to his apartment, hoping to get the briefcase  
before it was lost to me forever. I thought the briefcase would contain enough information  
to neutralize Luthor’s threat in the off-chance that we weren’t all killed by the asteroid."  
"So then what happened?"  
"Clark – do you want to tell this part?"  
He winced, "All of it?"  
She flushed," Whatever you want to tell." Her expression clearly said please, leave out the  
details.  
"I was at my apartment. I had crash-landed to Earth and had no idea who I was, or what  
had happened. At first… when I saw her there – I thought that Lois was somehow part of  
some plot to kill me." He stopped talking and looked over at her, in embarrassed  
recollection.  
She blushed in return, remembering her reaction, feeling ashamed of its intensity. "I – well  
it was kind of understandable, under the circumstances. Anyway – I managed to convince  
him that I wasn’t there to do him any harm and that he wasn’t the victim of foul play. I  
showed him the news, and showed him that he was really this missing superhero who had  
to go out and stop the asteroid."  
"I asked her to help me get my memories back, and after spending some time together,  
and after a while, it all kind of fell back into place," he paused, looking at her uncertainly.  
She nodded quickly, failing to notice Perry’s narrowing eyes at this interchange. "And —  
that’s the story in a nutshell. I figured, the least I owed her for putting her to so much …  
trouble… was the exclusive."  
"Have… have you called it in yet?"  
"Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first, so you wouldn’t be surprised that I was the one to  
report it."  
"You do realize there will be a great deal of resentment amongst our guild – you’ve been  
blasting him for so long, and that’s already made a lot of people… angry at you… and  
now – you get the best story… well – since he revealed his alien origins."  
"I know. But that’s not enough to stop me."  
"No — I didn’t think so."  
"Okay — well — I guess I’ll be going now — I need to get my story in."  
Clark tried to hide the disappointment from his expression. It had been so unexpectedly  
wonderful to see her again. He watched in silence as she gave Perry a quick hug. She  
looked up at him as she turned to walk towards the door, and smiled hesitantly.  
"I’ll see you. You take care."  
"You too, Lois."  
<<Maybe someday we’ll be on hugging terms.>>  
After she walked out the door, Perry turned to Clark with an ‘I mean business’ look on his  
face. Clark had to resist the urge to step back a few paces at the older man’s  
determination.  
"Okay. Son – now that she’s gone. What really happened between you two?"  
"Uh…  
"There was enough under-current here to sink a ship. What really happened? I have to ask  
– when you thought she was part of a plot to kill you – did you behave… well – did you  
behave yourself?"  
"Exactly what are you asking?"  
"You didn’t know you were an alien – a man with super powers. You were probably scared,  
and … confused. Did – did you hurt her at all?" Perry hated to ask the question, but he felt  
like he had to.  
Clark looked away, his face flushing red, he couldn’t face the man while revealing the  
truth. After a long moment, he said, still talking to the wall: "Yes."  
"Yes? Yes – as in – yes, you hurt her?"  
"I … I grabbed her arms, kind of shook her a little, and – even though she told her I was  
hurting her, I didn’t really ease up much. Did you notice that she was kind of rubbing her  
arms? I think they were hurting her — I’m sure I left bruises."  
"Oh Clark."  
"And… and… I wouldn’t let her leave."  
"Oh no."  
"Yea. I – pretty much fouled things up pretty badly."  
"And she – how did she react?"  
"Badly."  
"Not a big surprise."  
"I felt awful about it – it’s been eating me up since I got my memories back. I apologized,  
to her, even…"  
"And… did she accept?"  
"More so – she thought that she owed me one – for being so evasive about…" he trailed  
off, not wanting to reveal too much about what else had happened.  
"About what?"  
"Well… I kind of got it into my head that she was hiding something – some bit of  
information that was tied to my memories – that would bring them back."  
"And…"  
"And I bullied her into telling me – she didn’t want to – she tried hard to avoid doing so –  
but I badgered her and harassed her until she finally …"  
"Gave in?"  
"Lost it."  
"Lost it?"  
His face was bleak as he turned back to face Perry. "Perry, it was the most afraid I’ve been  
since she got back. She just – lost it. Slipped into memory hell – started crying and …  
begging… – it was as if she had gone back into that world. I pushed her -" he said, his  
voice dripping with self-recrimination. "I made her go back. I triggered the memories, and  
she was so absolutely lost. And horribly enough, it was her reactions which trigged my  
memories into returning. I had to leave… leave her like that – a huddled heap on my  
floor." He winced at the memory.  
"Oh my god."  
"When … when I got back home, she was asleep. But I managed to foul that up too by  
trying to move her to the couch. Of course, I woke her up."  
"And then?"  
"And oddly – she was … she ended up okay. The really strange thing is – I think it kind of  
broke through a barrier for her – regarding me. I still scare her – no doubt about it, but I  
scare her less when I’m dressed like a normal human, and as long as I keep my emotions  
even and friendly, it’s almost like we are two normal people who get along reasonably  
well."  
"That must… feel good."  
"More than I can say."  
"You do realize, son, that feeling vaguely comfortable around you is a far cry from…"  
"I know -"  
"I just don’t think you should – um – push for anything more. You know – it might scare  
her off."  
"Perry – please, the last thing I need to do is freak her out in the Luthor way. She doesn’t  
need that. I know that."  
"Can you deal with that?"  
"I don’t really see that I have a choice."  
"So does it mean that you’ve given up hope – or that you’re just biding your time?"  
"You don’t mince words, do you?"  
"She’s like a daughter, Clark – and you’re like a son – I feel like I have the right. If I’m  
wrong, tell me, and I’ll apologize."  
"No – no – you have the right… I don’t know – I guess I do feel some level of hope. It  
seems if she can be ‘normal’ around me, that sometimes I don’t remind her of him – and  
that’s pretty astounding."  
"Maybe you two don’t really look a lot alike, given that you are so different natured. It  
would be easy, I’m sure to tell you apart."  
"Maybe so. But I still mostly don’t think I stand a chance… and yet – I can’t really give up  
hope. It’s strange. I feel like we belong together, and somehow that alone will be enough  
to make things work out in the end. That doesn’t mean I don’t get caught up sometimes  
in the hopelessness of it all – but I’d rather have her here, in this world, and not anywhere  
remotely interested in being involved with me – than not having her here at all. Having her  
as a friend means more than I can say."  
"Well – I’m glad that she’s finally started to see you for who you are and not who he was."  
"Me too."  
Later that afternoon, Lois opened her door to welcome Perry into her apartment.  
"Perry – to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"  
"I just wanted to talk to you about what happened between you and Clark."  
"I figured as much."  
"Clark told me a bit more about what happened."  
"Yeah — I guessed he would."  
"Are you okay with that? I — we didn’t intend on gossiping or anything — but –"  
"You were worried. No big deal — Perry, I’m fine with it."  
"And… are you okay? It sounds like it was pretty…"  
"Yea. It was. I won’t lie to you — it was a very painful time for me — when he confronted  
me like that — I really — at first — I was sure he was Kal-El — that he had somehow come  
back for me. I don’t know — I guess it doesn’t make sense, but I was so sure that Clark  
was dead, so it was the only answer that made sense.  
"He said he was pretty suspicious about you too."  
"Yes. That was pretty bad too. He was angry, and very confrontational. He wouldn’t let me  
leave," she recalled the events as calmly as she could, but she couldn’t help a quick  
shudder at the memory. So much fear. She had been ready to die.  
"He feels pretty badly about it — you know — he’s convinced you were rubbing your arms  
— there — like that — because you have bruises. Bruises that hurt."  
"He’s pretty perceptive. Well — to be fair to him… I did break in, and he was afraid —  
afraid of me, as strange as that sounds — and he had a right to those feelings. He didn’t  
know he was super-strong either, so I guess I’m lucky that he didn’t break my arms."  
"How can you be so calm about it?"  
She took in a deep breath and then let it out. "I guess I’ve had time to think back over it. It  
was awful at the time. Horrible. Nightmarish. And then… when all those memories came  
back — after I had worked so hard at keeping them at bay – I thought I’d never be free of  
them. But — I was — and I was better off for it. I thought I was keeping myself sane by  
trying not to remember, but all I did was drive myself crazy."  
"Lois — I’ll say it again — you need to talk to someone about this."  
"It’s too crazy — who would believe it — you can’t go into therapy with lies — it just  
doesn’t work. Believe me, I know — I’ve been in enough therapy."  
"Isn’t there anyone — anyone you can trust with this story?"  
"Actually, I have been thinking about it — you know — Lana Lang?"  
"Clark’s former fiancé."  
"Right. She’s a degreed psychologist."  
"But not practicing?"  
"Not anymore. But…"  
"But doesn’t she hold you responsible for -"  
"No — actually, she and Clark are friends, and she knows the truth about me and where  
I’ve been. He told her — it’s a long story — I tried to use her for my article series, and she  
ended up coming down very hard on me for it. She couldn’t understand why I would  
launch such a hostile attack on someone that had …feelings for me. Clark ended up  
telling her the truth, and after that, I think she felt pretty badly. The truth is — I don’t  
know if she’ll want to talk to me — or offer up her services, but it seems like she’s the  
most likely candidate for this. Furthermore, I’m not sure I want to talk to her. You know —  
she’s his ex fiancée, and… it might be awkward to talk about the way I feel — the way I  
feel about Kal-El, and how I’ve been fearing and hating Clark."  
"Past tense. But — not anymore?"  
"Sometimes. But not always. It’s like I walk around with this gun to my head — a pull of  
the trigger sends me into this awful and frightened state. Sometimes I’m normal, and  
things are great, but all it takes is … well — you saw — my reaction to Clark when he got  
visibly angry when I mentioned that other world. Even though he was angry for me, it felt  
like he was angry at me, and he was going to hurt me. It’s hard for me – to get past that,  
because… it embarrasses me to feel that way. I feel –so weak — and stupid."  
"But — you know you aren’t either of those things — intellectually –"  
"Didn’t I just say ‘stupid’? It kind of precludes intellectual surmises."  
"Anyone who uses the word surmise in a sentence can’t be all that stupid."  
She smiled, "Well… okay. I guess you have me there."  
"Lois — if talking with Lana can bring you to a better place, mentally, I think it’s worth the  
risk of you feeling silly or embarrassed about it. Do you think she’d be willing to help?"  
"Yes."  
"Then you just have to go for it."  
Superman was in high demand. Saving the Earth from impending doom had done a lot in  
the way of repairing the damage that her article series had set into place. It seemed as if  
everyone wanted to talk to him – and he was getting invitations from influential people all  
over the world to come celebrate with them. He indulged the bulk of these requests, not  
wanting to seem unmoved by their feelings of gratitude and relief. He also wanted to  
share in those feelings. Earth was the only home he had, and he had been terrified that he  
would lose it.  
Lois fretted.  
<<It’s been two months, and no Superman sightings. Doesn’t he realize that Metropolis  
will revert to being a hotbed of crime if he’s not around to save the day? Not that it’s  
really happened – it seems as if people are really trying to put their best face forward in  
wake of what nearly happened. A little too close to meeting our maker, I guess. Or maybe  
something different. Maybe they were inspired by his sacrifice and his near death. >>  
She had reported it that way. Giving her readers a glimpse into the mind of this superhero  
that no one really knew. Telling them of his own personal fear – fear for his safety, and  
fear of failure. A desperate need to save the Earth, his home, his family.  
<<Maybe this is how we end up moving towards Utopia. This is a common bonding  
experience – we all nearly died together. Maybe it will give us a second lease on life. >>  
She was still feeling depressed. It bothered her knowing that he was nowhere around.  
Once, I would have reveled in that. He was gone, and although he wasn’t really more than  
a scream away, she didn’t feel like she could call for him unless she actually needed help.  
<<Why am I bothered by this? It’s not like I fuss when any of my other friends go away.  
Why this one particular friend? Hardly friends at all – just a new friendship starting? Why  
do I miss him so much? >>  
She also felt a vague sense of unease whenever she saw pictures of him often in the  
company of the world’s rich, powerful and beautiful. For wherever he was, they were sure  
to flock. The paparazzi had been having a field day, getting pictures of him with beautiful  
super-models flocking around him, and various rumors of various love affairs had been  
beginning to surface. Worse yet, some of these women weren’t really denying their  
veracity. Whether they enjoyed having the tag of "Superman’s girlfriend" or whether they  
really were dating him – who was to know? He wasn’t encumbered in any committed  
relationship, so what would really stop him from taking what was likely so freely and  
joyfully offered?  
<<It’s not like I ever offered him anything.>>  
<<He isn’t mine.>>  
That thought skittered through her mind, and she was surprised at the stab of hurt that  
went along with it. She had been getting used to the idea that he would always have time  
for her. Truth be told, he probably was in constant demand, not able to give more of  
himself than a few minutes here and a few minutes there. In truth, he belonged to the  
world.  
<<No. He belongs to himself>>.  
That was true, of course – he wasn’t a slave to humanity, no more than he had enslaved  
humanity. But he seemed to be resigned to the idea that his destiny lay in helping those  
he could help, and that was becoming a full time job  
<<So those times together – those were rare. I can’t expect to get more of his time than  
anyone else. He doesn’t… he isn’t mine. He belongs to the world. >>  
Reflecting further on that brought her additional pangs of hurt.  
<<I shouldn’t care. Why do I care? What do I want from him, anyway? What is it about him  
that makes me want to spend more time with him? It’s not like I – I couldn’t… because –  
I’m – there’s just no way. He’s identical to a man who abused me horribly – so… of course  
– it’s not his body and face that make me long for his company… it’s him – who he is – his  
kindness, and his generosity of spirit. Oh god. I can’t be falling in love with him, because  
that would be just too strange. Too disturbing. And then there’s that whole sex thing –  
how could I ever be with a Kryptonian again? I can’t even imagine being with a human  
man, let alone someone who looks exactly like Kal-El. His body… surely there are no  
differences there – how could I ever look at his body and not have horrible recollections?  
>>  
She expelled a frustrated breath, and began to pace. She had been seeing Lana for six  
weeks now and she didn’t feel like she was making any progress. Sure, it was nice having  
Lana to talk to, and she felt like her mind was easier in many ways, but she wasn’t any  
closer to being the person she once was. Maybe this was something that she should talk  
to Lana about. She picked up the phone to call her, and was able to make an arrangement  
to meet later that afternoon.  
A few hours later, she was seated in Lana’s living room, bending her ear once more.  
"I just want to be normal," she wailed. "And it’s taking too long."  
"Think about what you went through, and how long you went through it. If this had  
happened to someone else, would you feel that they were taking too long to achieve some  
rather ill-defined state of normalcy?"  
"It’s different," she said, heaving a frustrated sigh.  
"Different how?"  
"I’m supposed to be strong. I have this reputation – I don’t – I don’t frighten easily – or at  
least – I didn’t. I don’t break easily."  
"Break. But he never did break you. You never really completely submitted to his will."  
"No…" Her voice was uncertain as she agreed. Had she been broken? She wasn’t really  
sure anymore.  
"Many people would have been driven mad. Many people have been, for less. You went  
through this thing, came home, and jumped back into your life – doesn’t that count for  
something?"  
"I… I guess I did. But I made some terrible mistakes. Like that article series."  
"Okay. So going back to that time when you came back – what was the first thing you felt  
when you found out Kal-El was here?"  
"You mean Clark."  
"Well – his Kryptonian name is Kal-El, isn’t it?"  
Lois flinched. She hadn’t really thought of that.  
"Lois – that’s how you perceived him when you came here. As a Kryptonian. Certainly not  
as a human being. So what did you feel when you first found out?"  
"Extreme terror. Followed quickly by despair. Panic. Desperation. Rage."  
"Rage."  
"He… he had taken my place! He had – he had my job – my friends… my life! I felt that  
somehow he was responsible for what happened to me – and that he had engineered it on  
purpose so he could just slip into a life already made. My parents even. My sister. He took  
them all."  
"Do you still feel that way?"  
"No."  
"Not at all?"  
"No – not at all."  
"So you feel no anger towards him – no resentment?"  
"No – not anymore."  
"Did you stop resenting him when you realized that you were wrong about him or did it  
take longer?"  
"Truthfully? I wrote those last articles not really believing in what I was writing. Isn’t that  
awful? It’s terrible. Everyone tells me that I shouldn’t feel badly – even Clark has said  
this… that I was justified in writing those articles because I was driven by mown  
experiences to distrust his motives – to see danger, even where there was none. But there  
did come a point where it was obvious to me that I was on the wrong track. I still wrote  
the articles."  
"Why?"  
"Because… laziness, I guess."  
"That doesn’t sound like you. You are anything, if … lazy."  
"I… guess I just wanted to hurt him."  
"Kal-El?"  
"And Clark."  
"Why?"  
"I don’t know. Maybe because he wasn’t Kal-El. Or that Kal-El. By not being anything like  
Kal-El, he took away my purpose. I guess I kind of was angry about that- and I was angry  
about being wrong, and angry that Lucy and Perry and everyone else were right."  
"Understandable."  
"Is it? I don’t think so."  
"So what made you stop?"  
"There was this voice – and she kept telling me that I was wrong. I finally had to give in to  
it. That, and Lex Luthor. It became glaringly evident that Luthor was the man to be feared,  
and any campaign that had his full endorsement must be suspect in some way."  
"I can’t argue with that."  
"And so here I am – kind of dealing with all those long months of going down the wrong  
path – I was so completely wrapped up – I wasted so much time – I didn’t really rejoin the  
world – I just tried to change it."  
"So you feel like you never truly reintegrated with society."  
"I’m trying. I’m trying hard."  
"I can see that. Finding someone who you could talk to – that’s an excellent first step."  
"I hate those words."  
"Which ones?"  
"First step. It implies that there are so many more."  
"And why do you hate that? Isn’t life a journey? Aren’t we always taking first steps? It’s  
really the last steps that are kind of sad, aren’t they? The end of that journey?"  
"I just want to be normal again."  
"Normal? What is normal?"  
"Who I was before this happened."  
"Do you really think you’ll ever get there?"  
She sighed out in frustration. "I don’t know."  
"Do you feel like you are getting any closer?"  
"No. No – no – no. Every time I’ve thought that I’ve found my… I don’t know – the rhythm  
of my old life – I end up having nightmares, or a ridiculous panic attack and I realize that  
I’m nowhere near who I used to be."  
"So would it be so bad if you never got there?"  
"Where?"  
"To where you once were."  
She sighed again. "Yes. No. I don’t know."  
"Is it possible that maybe you need to redefine what normal means? Experience and time  
are transformers. You never really go back to who you were."  
"So what – this is who I am?"  
"This is who you are – now. And in 5 years – who knows – we can’t predict the future…  
but you will be changed – again – by the passage of time and experiences… or maybe by  
death – who knows."  
"You’re a real cheer bringer, you know that?"  
"I’m just saying that if you spend all this time trying to get back to who you were, you  
might just be setting yourself up for repeated frustration and self-loathing."  
"So what do I do?"  
"Maybe try to look forward at who you want to be, and who you can become? Maybe try to  
describe yourself as you are now, and then describe yourself as you would like to be."  
"Okay… as I am now. Tired. Frightened. Easily prone to panic. Frigid – beyond frigid –  
incredibly fearful of any kind of physical intimacy. Cautious. Lonely. Empty. Weak.  
Pathetic."  
"Okay. And where would you like to be?"  
"Anywhere but here. No – I don’t mean here with you – but anywhere – or anyone but who  
I am now."  
"Really? Because the woman I see is also strong, brave and compassionate."  
"Where do you get that?"  
"You are strong because you are here today, and not locked in some institution. You don’t  
see any bravery in your actions?"  
"Coward. I unleashed all my anger on the wrong man. I never stood up to Kal-El – well – in  
the beginning I tried, but after getting beaten down – I just never did it again."  
"Lois – you were fighting to stay alive. You are alive because of the choices you made. So  
that’s hardly cowardice. And actually, when you think about it, your actions against Clark  
were brave. You took on the most powerful man in the entire world… you did this because  
you knew that it was the right thing to do. Despite the obvious personal danger, you  
didn’t hide out and hope he’d never notice you – instead you thrust yourself right in front  
of a huge spotlight – just because you didn’t want to see another Earth suffer the way that  
other one did."  
"You make it sound so noble."  
"It really is – when you think about it. And compassionate – when you realized you were  
wrong, you did stop – you stopped because of your compassion for Clark – for seeing that  
you were hurting him. You let go of your anger – anger that many people would have had  
trouble releasing – even if they logically knew he was the  
wrong target. You let it go, because you couldn’t bear to hurt an innocent man."  
"I guess that’s one way of looking at it. I think another person wouldn’t have taken it as  
far as I did."  
"So now… tell me who you want to be."  
She took a deep breath.  
"I want to be strong and brave, and… I guess, compassionate," she smiled at Lana  
sheepishly. "I also want to be fearless – or able to appear fearless – like before. I want to  
have hope. I want to be passionate – not just about my work, but physically passionate. I  
never really felt that I was – before… but I get the feeling sometimes that that’s what  
Tempus took away from me. That chance."  
"Can you expound on that?"  
"I was supposed to help form a society that Tempus found unbearable – a utopian society  
– even though I find it nearly impossible to believe that mankind could ever live in that  
kind of society. But in order for me to have been able to help build that kind of world, I’m  
guessing I would have found some kind of… peace and love in my life that I don’t  
currently have, that I never have felt. Something that would have given me hope for  
mankind beyond the wish that we just don’t kill ourselves off with weapons of mass  
destruction. As a reporter, I get to see some really ugly stuff. People killing babies, for  
Pete’s sake… when you see that – it’s really hard to imagine that this species is even  
worth it, let alone capable of a higher way of living."  
"So something was supposed to… un-jade you, I suppose. Make you …"  
"Dizzy with the possibilities."  
"Do you know what that would have been?"  
She hesitated, and looked into Lana’s expectant face. Lana knew the answer – just as Lois  
did. The name fell reluctantly from her lips.  
"Clark. Maybe if I had met him without the negative experience of having met and  
endured Lord Kal-El, I would have been inspired by him – you know? By his selfless giving.  
By his own optimism that the Earth is beautiful and that humanity is worth saving."  
"Or maybe something else. Maybe you would have found love."  
"I don’t want to talk about that."  
"Okay."  
"How can you want to talk about that, anyway? Didn’t I ruin things for the both of you?"  
"No. Clark and I were not meant to be together. I believe that now. And so does he."  
"Meant to be," she said scornfully. "I don’t believe in fate. I don’t believe in destiny."  
"Chaos, all the way?"  
"And turtles… maybe."  
"And maybe there is magic, after all. I don’t know – I was far more cynical myself, but  
finding out that there are alternate universes has a way of shifting your perspective on not  
believing in things you can’t see."  
"So do you believe in soul-mates?"  
She nodded, "Yes. And Clark isn’t mine."  
It was the way she emphasized that last word that made Lois look up at her with narrowed  
eyes.  
"Lana – are you saying -"  
"Not saying anything."  
Lois shook her head. "I can’t believe that. Could fate, if fate exists – could fate be so  
sadistic?"  
"Looking around at the world…. I’d have to say yes. Maybe just capricious. I’m not saying I  
understand how this stuff works… just that I believe things I didn’t used to believe."  
"What happens if two soul-mates never get together?"  
"I don’t know. I think I’ve met mine though … After I broke up with Clark and got over  
being angry and bitter, I … I looked for that sense of belonging that Clark had described,"  
she paused and looked apologetically. "Perhaps I shouldn’t say anything…"  
"No – he told me about it too."  
"He did! That’s great!"  
"Why is that great?"  
"Because it means you two actually had a conversation. A pleasant one in which he felt  
comfortable enough to reveal that to you. That’s progress – when you came back – you  
said that you couldn’t even look him in the eye. You really have come a long way."  
"I … well – I guess I have."  
"Anyway – that’s how I feel now, and that’s how I know that I’ve found him."  
"Seems too simple."  
"Maybe it is. And maybe it’s okay for things to be that simple. I don’t know. I hope that  
this is how the universe works – or how they all work. Isn’t it a beautiful thought? That life  
goes on – that love goes on? That we can find that same happiness over and over again…"  
"Or never have it at all."  
"Right," she said heavily, remembering who she was talking to. "I’m sorry. I got a bit giddy  
there."  
"No – that’s okay. Sometimes it’s good to be around giddy."  
"Lois – is there no chance for the two of you?"  
"Do you believe we are soul mates?"  
"No. I like you a lot – but…"  
"Lana."  
She sighed, and shook her head. "It’s not for me to say. Do you believe it?"  
"I don’t know."  
"So not a definite ‘no’. Just an ‘I don’t know’."  
"It’s hard to accept – that the one person I was supposed to hook up with in this lifetime  
is someone I can never …"  
"And are you sure about that?"  
"He looks just like a man who did terrible things to me."  
"I know," she said softly. "But – when you look into his eyes, do you see Lord Kal-El?"  
"No. I don’t – but … sometimes it’s in his face. His expression or the way he’s standing, or  
the way he’ll move, or something that he says… it’s just suddenly there… even when he’s  
dressed like any normal human, and even when he’s in a good mood… but when he’s  
Superman, or he’s angry… then it’s just… nauseatingly awful."  
"Hmm."  
"So there you have it. How can I not fear Clark while fearing Superman so very much?  
Seems ridiculous to react to him as two different people, when there’s just the one."  
"Not really so ridiculous. He acts differently as Superman – more remote – stiffer. It’s as if  
he’s trying to discourage people from getting close when he’s Superman… all business.  
I’ve seen it too, and it’s — startling."  
"I think – he said he felt kind of self-conscious dressed that way — maybe that comes  
across as remoteness."  
"Wow – he really did share."  
She flushed deeply. "Well – yeah – I guess…"  
"So he must feel very comfortable around you. Do you think he has feelings for you?" She  
shook her head violently. "I can’t go there, right now, Lana. I can’t bear to think of it. It  
will just lead to …"  
"To what?"  
"To Kal-El. All roads seem to lead back to Kal-El."  
"Do you ever worry about going back there?"  
"Sometimes I have nightmares – that my body is somehow harmonized to this other  
world, and that I’ll just get pulled back in because that’s where I belong now."  
"You don’t belong there, though. This is your home – this is your origin. And besides –  
Clark would go bring you back home."  
"He wouldn’t be able to."  
"Oh yes, he would… he wouldn’t stop trying until he did."  
"Anyway… it’s just a dream – a nightmare… nothing real."  
"And Clark is real. How do you feel when you are around him?"  
"Like a spaz, mostly. But … it depends. Usually my first impressions are bad… and then I  
kind of calm down and ease into being with him."  
"When you are at ease around him, do you enjoy that time?"  
"Yes."  
"And how would you feel if he started to see someone, romantically."  
"Is he?"  
"Well – the tabloids are always insinuating … you never really know."  
"I… I’d be fine with it."  
"What if he were really your soul mate? Could you be at peace with it – knowing your soul  
mate was with someone else?"  
She stopped and thought. "I guess… it would bug me."  
"So…"  
"So the truth is – I don’t want him for myself, but I don’t want anyone else to have him  
either. That sounds pretty yucky, doesn’t it?"  
"Sounds honest."  
"Do you think you could see yourself with someone else?"  
"I hope so. I don’t want to be alone the rest of my life – I never did want to be alone. But…  
right now, it’s hard to imagine – the every idea of being physically close to someone  
terrifies me."  
"How do you think you’ll go from point A, which is now, to point B, which is the person  
you want to be? The one who can get close."  
"I have no idea. I was hoping you’d have some suggestions."  
"I don’t really know, Lois – I think that truly these things are a function of time. But what  
you’ve been through is so dramatic, it may take longer than average."  
"Which could be…"  
"I don’t really know – could be a month, or it could take years. You’ll only know when  
you’ve lived it and gone through it."  
"Years. Years? I can’t accept that, Lana — I just won’t. I have to find a way to get past this  
… and I have to find it now."  
Lois Lane was stewing in misery. He had been back for an entire week, and she hadn’t  
heard from him. Not even once.  
<<It’s not like he should call – why should he call? Really – why have I given him a reason  
to call? He probably thinks that I’m happier when he’s not around. Once, that was actually  
true… but now I miss him. How strange is that? I miss – God… not the fear, but the times  
when the fear isn’t there, and I’m comfortable in his presence. At those times, I just feel  
really good. Like all is well in the world. I wonder if he makes everyone feel that way, or if  
it really is the result of some bizarre destiny thing between us. >>  
Frustrated, she looked down at the morning paper and saw his face caught in a moment  
of unrehearsed happiness. He was smiling. It was a beautiful smile, completely unlike any  
smile his doppelganger had ever worn, and he was looking down at an incredibly beautiful  
and renowned model named Carissa.  
<<Just look at her. Miss I can’t be older than 22, Carissa, no- last-name. She can have  
any guy in the world, so why does she have to snag the one guy that… whoa there… that  
what? Why is this eating me up- because I have to admit… it is eating me up. It’s killing  
me. If Kal-El had ever lost interest in me, I’d be overjoyed, even if it meant the end of my  
life were near. I just lived for that time – when he would move on to some other  
obsession. This is different. Appearances aside, he’s nothing like Kal-El – he’s a really  
great person… a nice guy. And…he’s probably the one man I was supposed to be with. If  
he hooks up with her, what will my life be like? >>  
<<Well – I guess, it’ll be like it would be if he stayed unattached… it’s not like there can  
be anything between us – right? When it all comes down to it, the idea of ever becoming  
close with him, in that way – well – it’s still a nightmarish thought. So how can I expect  
him to not go attaching himself – even if he thinks I’m supposed to be the one, he knows,  
by my behavior, how impossible we are. I’m still upset about it though – and I don’t know  
how to stop being upset about it. At the very least, I wish he’d call – I just want to talk to  
him. God – to even see him. I miss his face. Now that’s frightening. I miss his face, when  
he’s smiling at me, and looking at me with those kind eyes. That’s what I miss. It’s even  
worth those initial feelings of panic and oppression. >>  
She blew out a frustrated breath.  
<<God – the way he’s smiling at her… it’s like she’s the only one in the world. He gave  
me a smile like that – does he just smile like that normally? Did I see more in it than was  
really there? A feeling of being special and important to him? Was that just part of his  
charm? The worse part is – today is my anniversary back from the dead. You think that  
would warrant a phone call. >> On perfect cue with these bitter thoughts came the  
ringing of her phone. She ran to the phone, tripping along the way, and suppressed the  
urge to curse angrily as she gasped, almost frantically into the phone, "Hello?"  
A few minutes later, she dejectedly hung up the phone.  
<<Well – it was nice of Perry to call. It was nice of him to remember. But darn it – he’s not  
who I wanted to call. For Pete’s sake. Just look at me. I’m falling apart here, over a man I  
used to hate, loathe, despise. And I should be kissing the ground in gratitude for being  
here instead of that hateful and despicable place. Once, I thought that all I needed to be  
happy was to be free of my enslavement, but how soon we start to expect more. Like  
hearing from people who claim to be friends with us. I know he’s busy, but he could at  
least take the time to pick up the damn phone. Arrrgh! Obsessing again. >>  
<<I feel empty – frustrated and… this yearning -this need for something more in my life.  
I feel like crying for a hundred years, and eating a hundred gallons of ice cream.  
Everything is just so… unsatisfactory. And it should be glorious – I should be happy with  
what I have? But I’m not. I’m sick of myself. My clothes. My life. My fears. I just want…  
dear god. I want Clark. Not sexually – I don’t know if I’ll ever want that. But I want him to  
NOT be someone else’s man either. I want … I want him to call and to hear that smile in  
his voice and to know that it’s all for me, and only for me. But I can’t have that – not  
without the other baggage of a relationship. How long would he accept this kind of  
passionless friendship – why would he choose to give up dating for the chance to spend  
time with the amazing frigid woman? Not even frigid – terrified. Panic-stricken. >>  
Agitatedly, she went back to her newspaper and looked at the picture again. She stared it  
at it in annoyance for a few moments longer, and then dropped the paper to the table  
emphatically.  
<<I will not obsess. But why hasn’t he called? He said we were friends, or at least…  
starting to be friends. And he… he loved her, didn’t he? So wouldn’t you think he’d want  
to at least talk to me once in a while, seeing as how I’m her doppelganger? Oh – god -  
maybe that’s it. The stark difference between who she is and who I am. How she reacted  
with him – no doubt she was friendly at the get-go, friendly, warm, inviting. Just how far  
did their relationship get, anyway? Maybe in her mind, it wouldn’t be cheating, if she –  
nah… if she’s anything like me, it would have been cheating. >>  
<<He should find someone else. Someone warm, loving, passionate – someone who can  
be for him what a woman should be for the man she’s with. A willing and joyous partner –  
in all areas of life. That could never be me. He’ll find someone – and I’ll get to watch it all,  
from my little empty life. Damn, Kal-El and Tempus for the legacy they’ve left me. They  
ruined my life. I might be out of Kal-El’s grasp, but I never will truly be free. >>  
<<Okay. So I’ve accepted it. I’ll never have him. But… can’t I call him? I mean – we are  
friends… and maybe talking to him – maybe that is all I need to lift up my spirits. It’s  
worth a shot, and hey- what do I really have to lose? He’s probably not home anyway –  
why would he be? He did tell me to call at any time… but did he mean, if I was in danger  
or did he mean -just any time? God – I want to call, but I don’t want to hear him be  
amazed at my calling – I don’t want to hear ‘Why are you calling me’ in his voice. I want  
him to be happy to hear from me. And I don’t know if he will be.>>  
She picked up the phone, and stared at it for a long time. And then she keyed in his  
number, which she had memorized. Taking another long time to ponder whether or not  
she should hit the ‘on’ button, she finally decided to go for it. Squeezing her eyes shut,  
she hit the button, feeling her heart and stomach clench in nervous response.  
He picked up on the first ring, and she hung up the phone in terror.  
<<He wasn’t supposed to be home!>>  
A few seconds later, she was cursing herself for being so stupid.  
<<God, he has caller ID, I’m sure of it – so he knows it was me. Damn those engineers  
who designed caller ID. Don’t they know that they’ve screwed up teenage daters  
everywhere? It’s part of dating history to hastily hang up the phone in fear after calling  
someone you really like. Oh god- do I really like him? DO I love him? I don’t know – I just  
don’t know… but I better call him back, because he’s sure to think I’m in trouble. But now  
I have a reason to call back. To explain that I’m not in trouble. I’ll tell him I dialed him by  
mistake. >>  
She quickly hit redial, and tried to will her heart to stop racing, as she heard the sequence  
of beeps as the phone dialed his number.  
<<Stay calm. Stay calm. >>  
"Hello? Lois – this is you, right? Are you okay?"  
<<As expected. He’s worried. >>  
Her heart beating fast in her chest, she closed her eyes a few seconds to regain  
composure.  
"Clark. Hi!" She was trying to affect casual cheer, but she knew she came across shrill.  
"Lois. Hi! It’s great to hear your voice! Is everything okay – did you just call -"  
"Yea – sorry – fumble fingers."  
"Oh – yeah. No problem. So how are you? It’s been a long time since we talked."  
"Not since Perry’s office!"  
<<Oh god. Act like an idiot, why don’t you. Let him know that you know how many days  
it’s been since you last saw each other. >>  
"You’ve been a bit busy, haven’t you," she said, wincing at the stupidity of what she had  
said.  
"Busy. Yes – definitely. But hopefully all that is settling down. I’m home, and glad to be  
home."  
"Home was just a few minutes away for you – right? No matter where you were?"  
<<He’s going to take this as nagging.>>  
"Yeah – but there’s a lot to be said for knowing that you’re home to stay. I didn’t really  
have a lot of time anyway – it’s really been busy."  
<<I needed to be apart from you. It hurts too much to know I’ll never have you.>>  
"Oh."  
There was a sudden silence, and she scoured her brain for something intelligent to say.  
"So – um, what’s up? Any particular reason for calling?"  
<<You couldn’t have missed me. >>  
"I… I just wanted to. It’s been a long time since we talked. I -" She stopped, unable to say  
the words.  
<<I missed you. >>  
<<Oh my god. Maybe she did miss me!>>  
His heart sang. "Oh!"  
<<Okay. Score one for the conversationalist. >>  
"Uh. Is that weird?" The question slipped past her before she could control it. All she could  
do was wait nervously for his answer.  
"A bit."  
<<Now why the hell did I say that? >>  
"O – oh. Oh – yeah. I guess it is. Weird. I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have -"  
"No – no – no! It’s good weird – I – I’m sorry!" His voice was urgent.  
<<Stop yelling at her. You’re going to remind her of Kal-El. >> "Oh! Good. Good weird.  
You didn’t expect to hear from me?"  
"Expect? Not really- but – yeah – I did hope you would call. Um, I actually wanted to call  
you -"  
<<Easy there boy.>>  
"But, I didn’t know if you’d welcome that, and I didn’t want you to think I was – well –  
harassing you, like Luthor was doing. "  
"You are nothing like Luthor," she exclaimed hotly. "Please. The man’s a psycho lunatic  
and a stalker to boot."  
"Has he- has he bothered you at all? I swear, I kept an open… well -mind, and ear- out  
for you… I was ready to come help if you needed it. I hope you know that."  
"No. No -he’s been blissfully dormant."  
"Good. Good. But -well -a quiet Luthor could also be a Luthor who’s up to something."  
"Don’t worry. My guard is hardly let down."  
"No -I didn’t imagine it would be. Not after that creepy stunt he pulled."  
"I -maybe he’s bugged my apartment again -how would I know? I should have the experts  
check again for me."  
"I can check for you. With my enhanced hearing and sight. If you want, that is."  
<<Great. Remind her of your super-powers. >>  
"Actually… that would be great. If you wouldn’t mind."  
"When could you come over?" She felt her stomach clench – the idea of his coming over  
with both exciting and terrifying. She wanted it, but feared the panic reaction that would  
inevitably beset her when she saw him.  
"When’s good for you."  
<<My God! She’s inviting me over! But calm yourself. It’s just to help her out – this isn’t a  
date. >>  
"Uh… now?"  
"Okay -I’ll be right over!" He hung up the phone, and set out for her place.  
She stood staring at the phone in disbelief.  
<<No! I’m not ready yet! I haven’t even showered! Oh damn – oh rats – he’s here! >>  
She felt her palms start sweating and her heart increased when she heard the knock on  
her balcony door. She turned, almost fearfully, and saw him floating there. Resigned to  
appearing in front of him in her flannel pajamas, she went over and opened the door,  
trying not to look too closely at him. She needed to ease into seeing him so the panic  
wouldn’t overcome her so sharply  
"You’re… you didn’t mean right now, did you? You meant – in then neighborhood of 20-  
30 minutes from now." His voice was apologetic. "You know – I can come back -"  
"It’s okay. Really." She looked up at him, daringly, and waited for the attack to happen.  
It didn’t happen.  
He didn’t seem so frightening or forbidding and she wasn’t sure if he was deliberately  
trying to project Clark vibes, or if she was becoming more accustomed to seeing him like  
that.  
"Hi." He was struck speechless – just looking into her eyes made him feel like he was in a  
dream. And she wasn’t reacting in terror, which was too good to be true.  
"Hi," she said, breathlessly.  
<<Why am I breathless? And is it obvious?>>  
"Uh – I won’t be long. Okay? I’m just going to … uh – if it’s okay… shower, and then  
change?"  
<<Okay? You’re going to take off all your clothes, and then get wet, just beyond that little  
door there? Oh sure. No problem -no problem at all. Well. I definitely had better get out of  
this suit. It sure doesn’t leave much to the imagination, and while I seem to have managed  
by some amazing stroke of luck to not terrify the hell out of her, the suit won’t hide my  
feelings for her very well.>>  
"No problem at all, Lois."  
"Okay. No peeking!"  
<<Oh my god. I really said that out loud? What the hell is wrong with me? >>  
He looked at her in shock. "God, no. I would never do that. I hope you know – oh… you  
were kidding." He grinned at her, in relief.  
"I know. I don’t joke around much… so it’s hard to really know if I’m kidding or serious."  
"Well… I promise –no peeking of any sort- so go on."  
<<Idiot. That sounded like an order. >>  
"Uh – that is – if you – if you want to."  
She went into her room, closed the door, and started to strip down. She glanced uneasily  
up at the door, and decided that regardless of what he had said, she should probably not  
tempt fate that way. She moved into the bathroom and took her clothes off in there. As  
the water hit her body she started to mentally review all that she had said since she first  
picked up the phone.  
<< I’m such a spaz. >>  
She took a very short shower, and then quickly dried off and threw on some clothes. She  
picked clothes that were casual, yet well fitting, so she didn’t look like a drudge.  
<<Not too sexy. But not too neuter, either. >>  
She came out of her room not expecting to be buffeted by panic. The moment her eyes  
fell on him she staggered back in gasping panic. He had used this time to switch into his  
street clothes, only he was clad entirely in black. Dressed thusly, he reminded her more  
potently of Kal-El than he ever had done, except in those brief times where she had seen  
him show anger. Her eyes were wide and frightened, and she just stared wordlessly at  
him, unable to even think of modulating her response.  
He was equally as startled as she by her response.  
<<What did I do? >>  
"Lois? My god – what is it? Is – is it me? What – what did I do?"  
His anxious questioning penetrated her panic a bit as she dimly became aware that he  
was asking a question that she once used to ask.  
<<What did I do? How have I made you so angry? Whatever I did — I’m sorry! I’m sorry!  
Please!>>  
It was a question she had soon learned to not ask – she quickly realized that Kal-El  
enjoyed hurting her, and didn’t need a reason to do it. Thoughts of Kal-El, and his  
reprisals made her feel sick with worry. Suddenly she felt tense and trapped. The room  
seemed much smaller now. She wished she could just disappear.  
"Lois… what – what is – " He stopped, as he remembered suddenly, the figure in her  
dreams. Kal-El. Clad entirely in black, and he was bitterly aware of what was causing her  
fear. "Damn it!" He was frustrated and angry with himself. "Of all the stupid -"  
He stopped berating himself when he saw her panic increase.  
"I – I – I – I’m sorry. Please – I’m sorry – I – I – I’m sorry. I – I -"  
"Oh -no – not what I meant," he said intensely, feeling horribly bad that she had assumed  
his anger was meant for her. "I should have known. Remembered. I’m sorry." His voice  
was anxious and urgent.  
His words halted her own fear, and she looked into his eyes,  
confused.  
"How could you – remembered what?"  
"Lois… I … I’ve seen Kal-El."  
"You – how …you didn’t go there, did you? You couldn’t have – that doesn’t make sense…  
you -"  
"In your mind. When you first came back. You had a bad dream, and I’m afraid that I – I… I  
thought you were in trouble, I flew around looking for you, but finally figured out it was in  
your mind…. and… I did something I’m not terribly proud of… I kind of … invaded your  
thoughts without your permission – or your knowledge …"  
"You – you were the one – the mystery presence – you helped me overcome it. The bad  
dream." She was reeling. At first his confession terrified her, but looking at the nervous  
and regretful expression on his face, she realized that he really had done it because he  
was worried about her.  
"Are… are you mad? I wouldn’t blame you if you were — but – I … I’m sorry."  
"Clark … I – I don’t think I’m upset by it. Certainly not mad. And not… even menaced by  
it, really. You thought you were helping me. That’s – it must have been hard for you to do  
that."  
"It was. I felt horrible about it… because I knew that you wouldn’t welcome it – but… I was  
afraid you … well, now, it seems stupid. You would have been fine, but at the time… I  
wasn’t so sure."  
"You’ve never done it again, have you?"  
"No. Most definitely no. I pick up on your broadcasts, but I never ever go into your mind.  
It seems… a viol – uh … an ill- mannered thing to do."  
"It can be a violation," she said quietly, using the word he had stopped himself from  
using. "And he often used it in that way. But you meant well, and I didn’t feel violated by  
you. You gave me strength and courage. I needed that. So thank you."  
"Oh… well – you’re welcome, of course… "  
She inhaled deeply. "I – I’m sorry I freaked out on you."  
"I’m sorry I gave you cause. Look – I can go back home and change…"  
"No – no. No. It’s okay. I’m okay with it. Really."  
<<Really. So long as you don’t look, move, act or sound like Kal- El>>  
He looked at her dubiously for a few seconds, and then looked around the apartment. "I  
don’t see any bugs here… want me to check -" he gestured in the other room – the  
bedroom.  
"If… if you don’t mind."  
<<Should I go with him? Into the bedroom? >>  
She quailed at the thought.  
"I’ll just go in and check – I won’t be more than a few seconds."  
<<Thank you.>>  
She knew that he was aware of her aversion to going into the bedroom with him, and felt  
a sudden burst of gratitude at his sensitivity. While he was gone, she pondered glumly the  
blatant impossibility of anything between them.  
<<How can I even think of having some kind of exclusive ‘friendship’ with someone who  
frightens me depending on what he’s wearing? >>  
"There’s nothing in there."  
His voice made her jump, and she turned around to face him, quickly. "Oh – oh good!  
Thank you- thank you so much."  
"Okay then… well – I’m sure you have things to do," he said preparing to leave.  
<<I want to stay here. With you. Talk to you. >>  
"Please… don’t go. Let me get you coffee — let’s catch up. Unless you’re – you must be  
busy -"  
"No – not busy at all. Coffee sounds good – but let me make it."  
"Clark," she said sternly, "Are you afraid to try my coffee?"  
"No – no – of course not -"  
"Then let me make it."  
"But… I don’t want you to… "  
<<Serve me. Service me. >>  
"I’m okay, Clark. Really. You don’t have to… bend over backwards to avoid… having me  
do anything for you. You don’t have to append please to everything you ask… I’m okay.  
Intellectually I know you aren’t him.  
He looked at her for a suspended moment, and then he nodded. "Okay."  
"Good. Glad we understand each other."  
<<Did I really just… tell him off? >>  
"Absolutely. As…as long as we are understanding each other…"  
"Go ahead…"  
"I wanted to wish you… a happy anniversary … I’m well aware that today marks your one  
year back in this world. And – I just wanted to say that to you."  
She looked down. "Wow. You… you remember. Did Perry tell you?"  
"I told him," his voice was slightly indignant.  
She quirked a smile. "He forgot to mention that little fact."  
"It figures," he smiled back, relieved for the lighthearted moment.  
"Did… did you see me at all, that day? What can you tell me about it? The part before I  
woke up at the hotel?"  
"Are you sure you want to talk about this," he asked her quietly, looking at her directly in  
the eye. "This might be upsetting."  
"What isn’t upsetting to me, these days… or any other day, for that matter. Please? It’s my  
anniversary, and I still don’t really know what happened – how I got back, that sort of  
thing. Come on. Don’t make me beg." She deliberately chose words that she knew would  
cut into his consciousness.  
He listened in silence, and then after a momentary pause, nodded. "I never would do that.  
If you want me to tell you what I know… then I’ll do that. Just…be a little warned, it might  
trigger some bad memories. Okay?" His expression was worried.  
"Okay. Just one question first. Did… did you have anything to do with my return?"  
"No. I really thought you were dead. I – well, you must know that I looked for you- I’m  
sure your parents told you."  
"Yeah – they told me right when I first came back. I can’t lie to you – it did freak me out. I  
thought you were stalking me." She admitted this with a little embarrassment.  
He nodded. "That’s understandable. It must have been an extremely unsettling piece of  
knowledge."  
She took in a deep breath. "Yeah."  
"I remember Herb saying something cryptic about never saying ‘impossible’ – I forget  
exactly what he said… but it was in reference to finding you. I guess he took it to heart,  
decided he needed to be involved. Lois, I’m sorry. I just never thought you’d be in a  
different universe, and yet – given that the other Lois was forced into this once, it seems  
amazing it wouldn’t have occurred to me."  
"You don’t owe me any apology, Clark. Really."  
"I still feel like a dope. I do think it should have occurred to me. But, thank god, it  
occurred to Herb, and for that… I’ll never think ill of him again."  
"You thought ill of him?"  
"The day you came back, I was having a self-pity session… blaming Herb – and your  
doppelganger for the current state of my life, which on that day, was not satisfactory to  
me. I was angry and frustrated that I had to bear the burden of being the sole  
extraterrestrial on Earth when the other Clark at least had loved ones in his life. He has  
his parents, and…his wife."  
<<Oh god. His wife. >>  
She restrained herself from reacting.  
"Are you still angry at them?"  
"No. And honestly, I used to get into these moods – but then I’d get out of them… mostly,  
I didn’t mind how it all turned out, except… well, I missed her."  
<<Do you still miss her?>>  
"So – then what happened?"  
"Herb showed up – and told me that he had found you. At first, I thought you were her,  
and I was really mad at Clark for letting this happen to her – letting her get hurt. But then  
he told me who you were. Lois – it was just the most life-changing moment. One moment,  
I thought you were dead, and the next thing I know – you were there – in living color.  
Obviously… a bit worse for the wear." He looked at her carefully. "Is it okay to talk about  
this still?"  
"Yes," she said tightly. "Please."  
"Okay."  
"Well – I saw you – and you were … beaten pretty badly. I got really upset about that, and  
Herb pretty much refused to talk about where you had been until I calmed down. So, I  
forced – uh – I mean – convinced myself to calm down a bit, and asked him to tell me  
what had happened.  
"Lois – my god… when he told me what had happened, I was… staggered. It seemed  
unreal, and completely impossible, and yet- it had happened. It never occurred to me that  
I could exist in other realities in such an altered way." He shook his head, still in defiance  
of that awful truth. "I wanted to go there, immediately, to fight him, to stop him from  
hurting anyone else… to avenge what he had done to you, I guess – but Herb  
absolutely refused. So unless I was willing to override his refusal, I had to accept that I  
could do nothing for that world. At least for the time being."  
"You… you could have just … disregarded him. Taken his dimension-machine and just  
gone ahead with your plan."  
"Right. But then – wouldn’t that make me a tyrant? Using my power to get my way?" He  
saw her turn pale and shook his head ruefully. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that."  
"Well – I asked the question," she reminded him patiently, with a brave small smile. "Yes.  
This stuff will upset me, but I want to hear it, nonetheless."  
"Right. Okay – so then, we turned to talking about you – about how to best … do what was  
right for you. We decided that you wouldn’t want to see me – in the flesh – uh – in  
person… so -we came up with the idea that Herb would get a room at the MH, and that I  
would fly you there, unnoticed."  
"You… you flew with me?"  
"Yes. I’m sorry. I hope you don’t mind – now, that is. I’m sure you’d have minded a lot  
back then. We didn’t want to cause you additional misery by having you wake up in my  
apartment. You – you had spent the last three years not having a voice – and we wanted to  
make up for that. In some small way.  
She had flushed red a bit, at the thought of him holding her close, flying with her-  
especially given the flimsy garment she had worn. Such an intimate contact, and she  
couldn’t even remember it. It was a good thing she had been out cold, or she would have  
probably had the panic attack to end all panic attacks.  
"You’re right," she said, becoming a bit choked up. "I didn’t have a voice. My needs – my  
wishes – none of it ever mattered. I didn’t even have an identity. Just another slave." Her  
voice was bitter.  
"That had to have been awful. For what it’s worth — your voice matters here. Very much."  
"To everyone except Luthor – who, like Kal-El, just wants to own me." She shuddered.  
"That will never happen," said Clark with steely determination.  
She looked up at him, startled by his tone, but strangely, not frightened. "That’s what  
enables me to sleep at night."  
<<And I’m telling the truth here.>>  
"Good. Well – so that’s it. You ended up at the hotel, and I left, and the rest you know."  
"Right."  
After a longer silent pause, he asked her tentatively what it had been like for her when she  
woke up and found out she was home.  
"Were you happy?" He was hopeful  
"Disbelieving at first, I think… but then happy – more than happy – just elated beyond  
belief. I never thought I’d be home again. It… it was a miracle. I was so grateful for what  
he had done… until he told me about…well – about you. And then, I’m afraid, I kind of  
verbally attacked him."  
"He told me about it before leaving. He wasn’t hurt, or angry – just sad, mostly – sad for  
what had been done to you, and sad that you felt that way. Hunted. In danger. From me."  
She sighed wearily. "Yes. That’s a good way to describe how I felt. Hunted. It was awful –  
you know – believing that you were going to come for me." She looked at him ruefully. "I  
just couldn’t believe that you could be so different from him."  
"Totally understandable. I’d have felt the same."  
"It took my breath away – when he said you were here. I just… fell apart."  
She was lost for a few moments in the memory, and then, she tried to force herself into a  
brighter frame of mind.  
"But that was then. We’re past that. Now – I’m able to talk to you like this… I know I still  
act weird – like even today – it’s just that sometimes when I see you – you look so much  
like him." Her eyes clouded bit, as she took in his black outfit. "It’s downright scary,  
sometimes." She whispered tightly.  
He looked down at his shirt, and back at her, dismay on his face.  
"I don’t want to make it harder for you than it already is. I should have gone home and  
changed – back when you first reacted. I can go now – I can come back if you want, or just  
go… whatever, it’s your call."  
"How about neither," she said briskly. "I have … well – I have a third option. I have a Daily  
Planet sweatshirt you could wear – I admit, it would be easier to see you wearing that than  
it currently is. Kal-El would never wear a sweatshirt of all things."  
"Lois – not to be … difficult – but you’re definitely a few sizes smaller than I am," he said,  
slightly embarrassed by the topic.  
"Yes. I am – but they never order these things in women’s sizes. It’s always a choice  
between large and extra large – and that really bugs me. Why don’t they get a wider  
assortment of sizes? Why are all the Daily Planet apparel items sized and styled for men?  
There are tons of women at the Planet so there’s just no excuse. It’s either huge sizes, or  
stuff that just looks awful, like polo shirts cut for men. I don’t know any of the female  
staffers that actually ever wear this stuff!"  
She stopped short, as she realized she’d been ranting. She also noticed that he was  
smiling at her ranting in genuine enjoyment.  
"I guess it sounds pretty stupid." She was embarrassed. "I mean – after all I went through,  
and I’m complaining about this silly thing."  
"No – in fact… isn’t that a sign that you’re healing a bit? Getting on with your life?  
Focusing on the smaller every day annoyances instead of on the big ordeal?"  
"You sound like Lana," she chuckled, forgetting he didn’t know.  
"Yeah – I guess I probably do, but how would you know that? Have you two become  
friends?"  
"I- well – I’ve been seeing her."  
He was taken a back for a moment, and gave her an odd look.  
"Not … not that there’s anything wrong with … but… you’re seeing her? Dating her?"  
She burst out laughing at that, and he felt surge of joy at the sound.  
"Not dating! Sorry- I guess it sounded like that. You know she’s engaged, right?"  
"Yes, and ….she’s definitely not interested in women," he said, "Or at least…not that I ever  
knew."  
Lois flushed a bit, imagining that he would, of course, know Lana’s sexual preferences  
rather well.  
"Uh – and she’s not exactly my type either."  
Their eyes locked for a moment in mutual understanding.  
<<Am I your type?>>  
"So, I guess you mean – as a psychologist, which is surprising, as she no longer does that  
kind of thing."  
"She made an exception for me. It’s more of a ‘friends getting together, and one friend  
listening to the other go on and on’ sort of thing. I – I hope you don’t mind?"  
"Well – even if I did, that would be none of my business, but I’m thrilled for you that you  
found someone you could talk to – I mean – really talk to – about your experiences. I hope  
this helps you… I don’t know – find some peace."  
"Sometimes it seems our sessions get me more unsettled rather than anything else. But I  
think that’s also a good thing. It churns up stuff that I need to work through. Lana’s very  
good. I like her a lot."  
<<I wish more than anything that I could help you work through these things>>  
"Me too. I’m glad she didn’t hold our broken engagement as a grudge. She’s too good a  
friend to lose."  
"Do you think her fiancé minds your friendship with her? I imagine most men would find  
you an intimidating … predecessor."  
<<Oh. Now why did I say that? It sounds like I mean it sexually. >>  
"Um- well – I don’t know about that… if it’s a problem — Lana hasn’t said anything…"  
"Good to hear."  
There was an awkward pause, as the current topic of conversation had come to a natural  
end, and then she suddenly remarked out loud.  
"The coffee! I forgot all about it. It’s ready …let me go get you coffee."  
Uneasy about having her serve him, despite her earlier admonitions, he suggested she not  
worry about it.  
"Clark, it’s no problem. Really. It’s already been made."  
"How about I -" he stopped and smiled sheepishly at her. "Just sit here. Thanks."  
She nodded emphatically. "Good. I’ll be right back."  
Moments later, she returned with two steaming cups and cream and sugar.  
"Here ya go."  
"Thanks. I really appreciate it."  
"It really was no problem," she said looking at him directly in the eye. "I was glad to do it."  
"I’ll be glad to drink it. You do make great coffee!"  
"It makes up, you know, for my lousy cooking."  
"Oh come on – I find that hard to believe."  
She smiled, "You’ll have to judge for yourself sometime, but don’t say I didn’t warn you."  
"Any time!"  
<<Did I just suggest we make a date? Did he just accept? >>  
"You’d better up your insurance policy."  
"Well, that’s where invulnerability comes in handy."  
"Ah, yes. You’re un-killable." The bantering ended as she had a sudden moments pause.  
He saw the sudden change and realized he had caused her pain.  
"I did it again, didn’t I?"  
"No. No – you didn’t. It’s not your fault," she responded in agitation. "You – you just can’t  
worry about it all the time. What you say, what you wear…. how you react- it’s not your  
fault. It’s not fair for you to have to constantly worry about what you said, what you did…  
it has to be crazy for you, worrying so much."  
"You’re worth it, you know. Someone should care about what you think, and what you  
need – I mean – after all you’ve been through."  
"But you can take it too far. You – you won’t want to spend any time in my company if you  
have to keep this up much longer. And… I … I enjoy spending time with you," she blurted  
out quickly, before she lost her nerve.  
She was rewarded with a smile – a big and glorious one. "Likewise."  
"I … I dated a guy who constantly tried to change who I was. What I wore, how I reacted,  
what I said, what I wrote… in the end, I realized that I could never be who he wanted, and  
I didn’t even want to be who he wanted. I seem to attract the psycho control freaks, don’t  
I? This guy, Luthor – and let’s not forget Kal-El."  
<<I’m not a control freak. >>  
"Lois – the guy was an idiot if he felt you needed to change. His loss."  
She flushed in embarrassment at the compliment, and sat silently, unable to think of  
anything to say to break the tension.  
"Well – I should go," he said, unwilling to leave, but feeling like they both needed some  
time apart to process this time together.  
<<Don’t go.>>  
"Yes – I’m sure you’ve got a lot to do. Come to think of it, I do too."  
"Okay. Well – thanks for calling. I – I missed you, Lois… and I’m really glad you called."  
"I… I missed you too. Maybe we can … do this again sometime?"  
His heart was doing cartwheels. "Anytime, Lois. Any time at all!" "Perry," said Alice over  
breakfast. "I think we should have Lois over for dinner. She’s been back from god knows  
where for a year  
now, and I’d like to celebrate. Would you mind?"  
"Excellent idea! When?"  
"I invited her over for Saturday."  
"You already –"  
"I knew you’d agree with the idea."  
He shook his head, laughing. "Alice, darlin, what would you have done if I had minded?"  
"Asked Superman for help in finding my husband, since clearly you’d have been an  
imposter. I know how you feel about her."  
"Uh — Alice — my feelings for Lois… they aren’t … uh — romantic… feelings. I hope you  
— "  
Alice put up a restraining hand. "I know. I admit, when you first met her, I was a bit  
jealous… it would be hard not to be… but it’s been more than obvious that your feelings  
for her are platonic. I like her too. It’s hard not to. I think I should tell you though… I — I  
also invited someone else."  
"Who?"  
"Uh…"  
"Uh — oh. This can’t be good. Come on, Alice, out with it — please?"  
She took a deep fortifying breath, nervous that he would think this a really bad idea. She  
wasn’t sure she didn’t think it was a really bad idea.  
"I invited Clark."  
"Great shades… you didn’t. Please tell me — you didn’t?"  
"Perry, please — to be a bit more supportive. I’m nervous enough about it as it is."  
"Then why in tarnation did you do it?"  
"I don’t like it when you talk to me like that. I don’t work for you, and I can invite whoever  
I please to our house — it’s not like I invited Lex Luthor, for Pete’s sake."  
Perry exhaled steadily, trying to regain his sense of balance.  
<<Yes dear. Always remember — the correct answer is ‘Yes dear’ >>  
"Yes, dear."  
Alice looked at him suspiciously, and then smiled fondly at his transparent attempt at  
placation.  
"It might not be such a horrible idea. We haven’t seen enough of  
either one of them, and they do seem to actually be getting along. Look at that great  
article she wrote about him? He gave her the exclusive that every reporter in the world  
wanted. Why would he do that if they weren’t getting along?"  
"They are getting along, but I still don’t think this is wise."  
"Why not? I never understood why she was out to get him in the first place?"  
"Alice, there’s a lot about Lois that you don’t know. And –"  
"See that’s the problem, Perry. I don’t know — you need to fill me in."  
"What are you talking about?"  
"Don’t give me that Mr. Innocent act. I know for a fact that there’s more going on here  
than anyone’s saying. I know she didn’t have amnesia, for one thing. That’s too much like  
a soap opera plot. Something happened to that girl — it altered her, it altered her  
perspective. The Lois I knew would never have launched an all out attack on someone like  
Clark without making sure she had just cause. Perry — what happened to her? Where was  
she?" She paused for a heartbeat, and then decided to drop the hammer. "And what did  
Clark have to do with it?"  
"It’s her story to tell," he said desperately, remembering guiltily that he had grilled Clark  
about this same subject, and Clark had felt just as reluctant to divulge Lois’s secrets as he  
now felt.  
<<If the man of steel couldn’t stand up to me, how can I expect to be able to stand up to  
Alice? >>  
"I can tell you that Clark had nothing to do with it. But… I’m guessing you knew that or  
you wouldn’t have invited…. Is this why you did it? Set this up? To get me to talk?"  
"Maybe," she said with a sly smile. "But I also want to see the both of them. Also… I think  
they make a really good couple. They have a lot in common, and — what? What’s wrong  
with this idea?"  
Perry had gone absolutely pale, and he was now sitting, staring at her, aghast, his mouth  
open in shock. "God, Alice — if you knew…"  
"Which I don’t," she snapped with some amount of asperity. "I  
don’t like you having secrets with beautiful young women, Perry."  
"So this is your revenge? Set up this dinner of doom?"  
"No. I … I really think they have chemistry. Didn’t Lois have something to do with Lana  
and Clark breaking up? I thought they were … and then she disappeared again, and came  
back all different. I can’t say it makes sense, but it has seemed that she’s been kind of  
returning to her old self lately, and so I thought — why not?"  
"Because, she can never look at Clark without feeling some amount of fear, Alice. He  
reminds her too much of someone else. Someone who hurt her very badly."  
"Because he’s a man? A man hurt her, so she’s skittish around all men? Oh come on Perry,  
I recognize the signs of someone who’s  
been… shall we say… mistreated? But that’s no reason to live her life out this way — in  
time, she can overcome anything –"  
"If you knew –"  
"If you don’t stop saying that…"  
<<Just tell her. Better to have Lois mad at me than Alice. I live with Alice. >>  
"Lois was being held prisoner — by Kryptonians, Alice."  
It was her turn to be shocked. Sputtering denials, she shook her head. "It — it can’t be! I  
mean — he’s the only one. The last… last son. I — isn’t he? And you just said he had  
nothing to do with it!"  
"Here he is. And yes. He had nothing to do with it."  
"Here? So … somewhere else? There are others? She was taken to another planet, then? By  
whom?"  
"Another dimension, Alice." He looked at her with a pained expression, fully expecting to  
be on the receiving end of more anger.  
She looked at him in confusion for a few long minutes and then shook her head in total  
denial. "Come on, Perry — don’t’ fool around. I really want to know."  
"Alice. I’m being 100% honest with you here, and if you don’t believe me, you are more  
than welcome to call Clark. Go ahead. Call out for him — ask him to come here — and  
he’ll confirm. "  
"But that’s… No. I can’t do that."  
"It’s the missing piece. The other Lois you saw came from yet a different universe… she  
needed Clark to get home, to her own world, to her own — life. She and her Clark are in  
love. They were making a life together. Our Lois was kidnapped by an evil human from the  
future… yes — I said future… and taken into an alternate world where… where Clark was  
a vicious leader of a vicious species, Kryptonians, who had invaded and enslaved the  
Earth. His name wasn’t even Clark — he’d never been raised by humans."  
Alice was slowly shaking her head, not so much in refusal to believe, but rather, refusal to  
accept. Clark? That kind, gentle wonderful man that made her wish sometimes that she  
were many years younger, and prettier, and single. How could Perry’s story possibly be  
true?  
"So –" she said in a small voice, "Do you think Clark would have been that here, if he had  
come to Earth with his people instead of alone? Do you think he has it in him to be this  
vicious leader?"  
"No," said Perry emphatically. "Clark’s a good man through and through. I think that  
alternate worlds are just alternate. I think it’s possible for any one of us to wear vastly  
different personalities in other worlds. I could be a Hitler-like man, somewhere or when.  
You just don’t know. And you can’t drive yourself thinking about it. Clark sure has done a  
lot of bitter reflection on the topic, and it all comes back to the truth that you can’t worry  
about an infinite number of alternate worlds… worry about the one you’re in. That’s hard  
enough."  
"Oh, but Perry — oh — god — I better do something about Saturday. Cancel on one of  
them. It’s… no wonder Lois felt and acted as she did. I feel so badly about all the rotten  
things I said to her –"  
"You said rotten things to her? Alice, please — tell me you didn’t…"  
"Oh — I’m sorry — I should have been more clear– I said them to her in my head. I never  
could broach the topic with her. She looked too frail, too hurt, too haunted. Looking into  
those eyes of hers, you just can’t hurt her in any way. So now — it all makes sense. This  
evil Clark…"  
"Kal-El."  
"Come again?"  
"Clark was the name the Kent’s gave him. His alien name is Kal- El, and that’s how she  
knew him. As ‘Lord Kal-El’."  
"Lord." She shuddered. "That sounds so… powerful. Remote. Scary."  
"Alice. She was his slave," he said, wincing at the word. "In every way. He treated her very  
poorly. He did it on purpose — with great enjoyment. She — she doesn’t talk about it  
much, but what’s slipped out has been very telling — very ugly."  
Alice sat in silence for a few moments.  
"Do her parents know?"  
"Yes. She finally told them. Lucy knows as well."  
"Did she tell you first? I know you’re like a father to her … sometimes I think Sam is  
jealous of you."  
"Actually… it was Clark who told me. He told me right at the very beginning."  
"How in the world did Clark know about this, and –"  
"He found out about where she had been the day she returned. A friend of his who travels  
dimensions had decided to see if he could find this universe’s missing Lois in a different  
universe. Don’t ask me how — I have no idea how any of that works… but he ended up  
finding her, and he brought her back home. He himself is a human being, so it was a  
rather extreme act of bravery. We all owe him a lot."  
"Oh."  
<<I can’t tell her he’s H.G. Wells. She’ll throw me out. >>  
"So — now you see?"  
She took in a deep fortifying breath. "Oh god, do I ever. Oh — that poor woman. How did  
she ever get to the point where she could stand to cope with his existence? You would  
think that would be impossible. And yet — they seem to have gone beyond all that."  
"She’s a strong woman and he’s a good man. He gets under your skin — it’s hard to  
dislike the man. Downright impossible, unless you’re someone like Luthor."  
"Luthor is threatened by Clark. He doesn’t like anyone to be more powerful than he is."  
"Exactly. And he’s a dangerous control freak. If Luthor had super powers, we’d probably  
have Lord Luthor in charge of everything."  
"Horrifying thought."  
"So — so — while she seems to have come to grips with his existence, she’s not ready to  
… well — to be romantically involved with anyone. If she hadn’t been taken, they probably  
would have fallen in love, like in the other world — the one where that other Lois came  
from. But …"  
"This is just so unreal."  
"More unreal than a man who can fly and bend steel?"  
"I guess our entire existence seems ridiculously unreal at times. Okay. Perry. I get it now.  
You know — if you’d just told me all this in the beginning…"  
"It wasn’t my story to tell. Clark told me — And Lois was angry when she found out that  
he had done so."  
"Oh dear. I’m thinking she’ll be angry at you too –"  
"I don’t know. She’s mellowed out a bit about it. About who knows, that is — the  
experience itself continues to haunt her on a daily basis."  
"So … so — Clark — how does he feel?"  
"Alice, he loves her." Perry shook his head sadly. "He loves her in a way that indicates to  
me that he’ll always love her."  
"Oh no," she exhaled sadly. "So his only hope is…"  
"That somehow she’ll be able to get over this, and start to have feelings for him. Clark’s  
not a fool though. He knows how impossible this is. He said he would never ever declare  
his feelings for her — what would be the point? Why make her uncomfortable needlessly.  
Anyway – who knows — maybe he’s been dating — the tabs sure seemed to think so. And  
if he can find some level of happiness with a beautiful super model, or even if he decides  
to just play the field… then who knows?"  
"Yeah," she said dubiously. "Who knows?"  
"So what are you going to do?"  
"I think I’ll call them both, and cancel. Suddenly I don’t feel like –"  
"Actually. You know- it’s not like she minds him being around. She might be okay with it  
— I saw them both together in my office and they seemed to well on their way to  
friendship. Maybe your idea isn’t such a bad one."  
"Should I tell her he’s coming?"  
"Just level with her and tell her. You can ask her if it’s okay. If not, we can just reschedule  
one of them."  
"Okay…"  
"I promise, she won’t bite."  
"Then you tell her."  
"Alice…"  
"No, no. Just kidding. I dug myself this hole, I’ll dig my way out."  
45 minutes later, she came into the living room where Perry was reading a book.  
"How did it go? You look no worse for the wear."  
"I’m fine. She said it’s okay with her. Perry, honestly, she sounded kind of eager to see  
him."  
"Really? Did she say so?"  
"Not in words, but I could tell… do you think there’s any hope for this to become more  
than just friendship?"  
"A month ago, I’d have said no — but I’m more than aware of my obtuseness in these  
types of things. I didn’t even know you were interested in me until you made it blatantly  
obvious."  
"You were hard to convince. That’s one of the endearing things about you, love."  
"Do you think there’s a chance for those two?"’  
She smiled. "You know… just maybe there is. I’m hoping that we get some kind of hint of  
things when we see them here together."  
"Well, are you planning on telling Clark?"  
"Nah. Let someone get surprised. I’d love to see how he reacts when he sees her. That will  
be very telling."  
"But — we know he loves her."  
"Yes, but still won’t have a chance to modulate his response. So he’ll probably show more  
pleasure at seeing her than he would show if we gave him a chance to prepare. It’s how  
she responds to that, that will give us our clue."  
"Alice, you sound kind of diabolical here. You’d be a match for Luthor, I’m thinking."  
"I’m a mother. You learn that skill on the job."  
"But…"  
"Now what?"  
"I think you should tell him. I’m not terribly thrilled with playing mind games with Clark.  
He’s my friend, and he never plays any sort of mind games himself. I think we owe it to  
him to be as honest with him as he is with us."  
"Did I ever tell you that you’re a party pooper?"  
"Does that mean you’ll tell him?"  
"This time, I’d rather you did it."  
"You always leave the hard jobs to me."  
"That’s what husbands are for."  
She got up and kissed him on the cheek as she handed him the phone.  
Clark had just flown in when he heard the phone ringing. His heart racing in hope, he  
sped over to answer it before whoever it was gave up. Maybe it’s her!  
"Clark! I’m glad you’re in."  
"Hey, Perry – what’s up?"  
"I, uh, wanted to talk to you about Saturday night. I kind of wanted to give you advanced  
warning – Alice invited another guest."  
"This sounds ominous. Oh – god … Please tell me it’s not Luthor? No, it can’t be. Alice  
can’t stand him. Is it Cat? Please tell me it’s not Cat."  
"No – son – It’s not … it’s – it’s…"  
"Lois. She invited Lois, didn’t she?"  
"Why do I even bother talking?"  
"I should have guessed that immediately – why else would you really feel like you had to  
‘warn’ me."  
"Is it okay? If not -"  
"Does she know?"  
"Yes."  
"And… and she’s okay with it? With — with my being there?" Clark tried to keep his voice  
even. Inside, he felt like he was bursting with joy.  
"Yes."  
"Oh. Wow."  
"Are – are you okay with it? I mean – well- I know you have feelings for her, but I also  
know that being around her can be a bittersweet experience for you."  
"I’m very much okay with it, Perry."  
<<She’s okay with it! She’s okay with it! >>  
"She’s really okay with it? Are you sure- or is she just trying to be polite – did you talk to  
her, or was it Alice… and – maybe she just didn’t feel she could tell Alice that she wasn’t  
okay with it – so are you really sure? Is she really okay with it?"  
"Alice knows, son. I told her."  
"Oh."  
"And she told Lois she knows. So Lois would have no real reason to pretend she was okay  
with it."  
"Right… but … but – maybe she just wants to put on a brave face- you know… she’s – her  
pride gets injured when she perceives herself to be anything less than strong."  
"I feel fairly confident that she’s okay with it, son." Perry tried to hide the amusement that  
he was feeling. Clark may be the one with the x-ray vision, but right now, Perry felt he  
could see right through to him. "You don’t have to worry about feeling good about this.  
She knows you’re coming, and she’s really okay with it."  
"So it’s that obvious, is it?"  
"To me. I know how you feel about her."  
"As long as Alice doesn’t… of course, knowing Alice – she initially set this up in hopes of  
matchmaking. Didn’t she?"  
"Uh – yeah. That’s about right. That’s why I told her about what happened. I wanted to nip  
it in the bud before anyone got hurt."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Just imagine her approaching Lois directly about it? Or continuing to contrive situations  
to throw you two together romantically?"  
"Right," he said quietly. "Not a good scenario."  
"Although…" Perry trailed off thoughtfully.  
"Although what?"  
"She did mention that Lois actually seemed … more than just okay with the idea of seeing  
you. And frankly, I’m still reeling from that smile she gave you when she saw you in my  
office."  
"Perry, please. It’s hard enough to keep my feet on the ground as it is. Don’t be an  
enabler."  
"I’m just saying that maybe things aren’t as bleak as we once thought. Look. A year ago  
we both thought that you didn’t even stand a chance of having any kind of positive  
relationship with her. And now – you two are actually friends. Beyond all belief and hope.  
So who’s to know? Maybe that whole soul-mate thing has some merit – and maybe, no  
matter what has happened to her, or to you, there are external forces pushing you  
together — forces that want you to be together."  
"I can’t set myself up for that kind of expectation, Perry. I have her friendship and that’s  
more than I ever thought I would have. I need to believe that this is the best it can be, or I  
won’t be happy with the status quo. I don’t want to do that to me — or to her. I want to  
be able to find joy in the way things currently are."  
"Okay son. That makes sense – and -"  
"But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it – your viewpoint. In fact – I’ll be honest –  
certain things she’s said to me have given me cause to hope as well – and I’m just  
working hard at keeping perspective. I just don’t want her to start feeling that there’s  
more going on here than she can handle. I don’t want to scare her off."  
"I know. It would be worse for you to lose her friendship – maybe the payoff isn’t worth it.  
I don’t know – I hope she continues to see you for who you really are, and is able to  
someday be that special person in your life. But Alice and I won’t do anything to scare her  
off either. Now that Alice knows, she feels badly that she even tried this in the first place."  
"Well – you know – Saturday doesn’t have to happen -"  
"No – no. It really – it’s really okay – and we are both really looking forward to seeing you  
both. Please – now that Alice has talked to her, she feels a lot better."  
"Okay, Perry. Listen – thanks for the call."  
"No problem. I’ll see you Saturday then."  
"Take care."  
After he hung up the phone, he checked quickly to see that his feet were still on the  
ground.  
She’s going to be there.  
<<I get to see her! This is just too good. I need to make sure I don’t wear or do anything  
to set her off. I know it would really hurt her to have a negative reaction in front of the  
Whites. I hope she’ll be okay – I hope that her initial reaction won’t be too harsh. I can’t  
wait to see her! She isn’t upset that I’m going to be there! Perry actually thinks she’s  
happy about it! Maybe she’s – no – no – don’t go there. Just don’t. But it can’t  
hurt to just think about it, can it? Yes. It can. It can because it will eventually be obvious to  
her that I’m hoping for more, and that will make her uncomfortable. She’ll start avoiding  
me, and then I’ll never see her. That’s a bad scenario – one I don’t want. So I need to be  
cool – play it cool – stay calm. >>  
Not far from his apartment, a similar battle was going on in the mind of Lois Lane.  
<<Alice knows. This is a good thing, isn’t it? I mean – it makes life easier for Perry. And  
Alice can stop trying to throw the two of us together, because I’m sure that’s what this  
was. A matchmaking kind of dinner. I need her to know so she doesn’t try it again. But…  
if I don’t want her to try it again, why am I so excited? Because I am – I’m really excited  
about seeing him again. I can’t wait… and I’m already agonizing about what to wear. This  
is so weird. Why would I care – why would I be excited about this – it’s not like I want it to  
lead anywhere. Do I? I don’t know what I want. I just know what I don’t want. I don’t want  
to not see him. I don’t want him to date anyone else. I don’t want him to go away. But… I  
don’t want to be romantic or intimate with him either. I just want things to be as they are  
– I want to see him whenever I want, knowing full well that he’s not dating anyone else. So  
what do I wear? Oh god – what about him. I forgot – when I first see him, I usually see Kal-  
El. It takes a while for Kal-El to fade and Clark to appear. What if – what if he wears black?  
He probably won’t, right? He knows – he’d remember. But still… who knows – it might still  
freak me out, and I’ll have to get it under control in front of Alice and Perry. I can’t do  
that- I can’t – risk the humiliation of having a panic attack in front of them. So what do I  
do?>>  
Dismally and frantically she worked through the scene in her mind.  
<<I’m sure to have some kind of painful reaction when I see him. I always do – or mostly  
always. It would be better to just get it over with beforehand. I need – I should… ask him  
to come here first? Oh – but that sounds like I’m asking him to pick me up – of course –  
he doesn’t have a car – does he? He doesn’t need one. I could drive us both – if he’d be  
willing, but it seems so childish to ask him to do that. I couldn’t do it – I couldn’t –  
maybe… maybe I could stop by his place. Just act like "Oh, it was on the way, and I  
thought you might want a ride." Right. A super powered being who can fly needs me to  
give him a ride in my car. Makes total sense. But if I know him, he’ll accept and won’t say  
anything about the lack of logic behind the action. He’ll see right through it – and he’ll act  
like it’s the best idea in the world. Yes. I know I can count on that. So – I’ll do it. But – I  
should call him first- so he doesn’t leave without me – I shouldn’t just show up – should I?  
What if I get there too early, and he’s not dressed yet? It’d be awkward. Or what if he’s out  
saving people – what do I do??>>  
A knock at the door startled Lois out of her train of thought. She felt a clenching  
sensation in the region of her heart.  
<<Maybe it’s him!>>  
"One moment!" She called out.  
She was extremely excited and hopeful by the thought of seeing Clark. Eagerly she went  
over to the peephole and looked through and her heart immediately sank.  
<<It’s Lex! Oh no. What do I do? I don’t want to let him in. He scares me. But he can’t  
hurt me — not with Clark out there to save me, right? But what if Clark is unavoidably  
busy doing something else- like rescuing people from an earthquake or whatever? Then  
what? What if Lex masterminds some disaster to keep Clark busy? Opening the door and  
letting him in is dangerous and I shouldn’t do it — shouldn’t rely on Clark to be able to  
save me. What do I do? Should I call for Clark? Call him now! That’s what I should do!>>  
She went over to the phone, and quickly dialed his number, her heart pounding a mile a  
minute. She felt a surge of relief when he answered the phone, his voice was warm and  
welcoming.  
"Clark — oh god — I’m glad you’re home!"  
"Lois? What’s wrong? Are you okay?" He was worried. She sounded very tense and afraid.  
"Lex is here. Outside my door — and I’m afraid to let him in. I’m also afraid not to let him  
in. What should I do?"  
"Do you want me to come over? I could be there in seconds and then you could let him in  
to find out what he wants."  
"Would you mind –" No sooner had the words left her mouth and he was there, hovering  
outside her balcony window.  
<<I never thought I would feel so glad to see him like that. He doesn’t even scare me  
right now. >>  
"Thank you so much for coming," she gasped as she rushed to open the balcony door.  
"No problem, Lois — like I said — any time." He smiled reassuringly. He quickly spun into  
his street clothes – just as Lex knocked on the door again.  
"Lois?" Called Lex. "Please open the door."  
She looked at Clark nervously and he gave her another smile.  
"I promise you — he can’t do anything — not while I’m here. Okay? You’re safe."  
She nodded quickly. "Right. Right. Of course."  
She went over to the door and opened it.  
"Lex. I’m sorry — I — I — come in."  
"Lois, I was worried — when you took so long in — Oh. Clark."  
The tone of his voice changed from silky smooth to vaguely menacing. Lois felt cold  
inside. Nervously she glanced over at Clark and was relieved to find that he wasn’t  
displaying any signs of anger or tension.  
"Hey Lex. Long time, no see."  
"Not an easy feat for me. Keeping out of view of a man who can see through walls."  
"Hope it isn’t a blow to your ego to find out that I have far better ways to spend my time."  
"I can see that. It looks like you and the delightful Ms. Lane have struck up quite the  
friendship. Giving her the exclusive on your daring rescue of planet Earth — why — that  
was just an amazing act of generosity on your part."  
"Saving the Earth was the amazing act of generosity," interjected Lois, trying to channel  
her former mad-dog persona.  
<<You won’t scare me.>> "Of course. No doubt about that. We all owe our lives to our  
friendly neighborhood alien here."  
Lois fought back the urge to smack him in the face.  
<<Why does he keep making alien cracks? It’s like he wants to remind Clark at every  
opportunity that he’s not human. That he doesn’t belong. That’s it — of course. Lex just  
wants to hurt him in any way that he can. >>  
She repressed a shudder.  
<<I hope that Clark can’t be hurt. How odd — I once was hoping to find a way to stop  
Clark, should he ever make my worst fears come true, and now, I’m on the opposite end  
of that spectrum.>>  
"Lex, why are you here?" She decided to ignore his barbs. If Clark could, so could she.  
"I wanted to talk to you — but I can see that this is a bad time."  
"This is as good a time as any, Lex. If you have something to say to me, I really wish you’d  
say it now."  
"Lois. My heart is wounded. I — do you … are you afraid of me?" His eyes glinted with  
menace.  
<<You’d like that, you bastard.>>  
Lois stared at him for a stunned moment as she realized that he truly would like that. He  
would relish having her at his mercy and having her afraid of him. Lord Luthor. The  
thought came unbidden into her mind, and it made her feel cold inside.  
"Lex, you’ve given me every reason to treat you warily."  
"Lois — you completely misunderstood the situation. I would never hurt you. I was merely  
— I’m not used to people saying no to me, that’s all. In fact- maybe it’s a good thing that  
our flying friend here gave me that dictionary." He smiled humorlessly at Clark.  
"Lex, I don’t think that ignorance is much of a defense in the eyes of the law," Clark said  
casually.  
<<Don’t get mad. Don’t rise to his bait. Don’t frighten Lois.>>  
"I certainly wouldn’t think of breaking the law. Dear god, Lois — what did you think I was  
going to do? Now — the fact that Clark here mistrusts me is no surprise to me, but that  
you mistrust me — it cuts to the quick. I’ll have to earn back your trust, I see."  
"It’s not important, Lex," she interjected hastily. "But I really don’t see any purpose in  
drawing this out. If you have something to say to me, why not say it now?"  
"I just wanted to see if you were okay, and make sure that my little… offer… hadn’t left  
you with another wrong idea. I wasn’t…. making you an indecent offer. I hope you  
understand that."  
"Lex — I’m curious," interrupted Clark. "Just … how did you manage to duplicate Lois’s  
apartment down to such a detail?"  
"Now how do you — oh — so you told him." He cast a sharp look at Lois.  
Lois immediately felt like shrinking in herself. Lex, like Kal- El, enjoyed the art of  
intimidation. He used his voice, his eyes and his body language to inflict fear, just like  
Kal-El. Both were like amused predators, watching their prey squirm under scrutiny. When  
he looked at her like that she wanted to fall at his feet and beg forgiveness. Nervously she  
flicked her eyes quickly to Clark and saw him looking at her in concern. She must have  
been broadcasting her feelings somewhat, at least enough for him to know she was  
afraid. She gave him a quick smile to show that she was still under control, and he gave  
her one back.  
<<It’s okay, Lois. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me to.>>  
She heard him in her mind, and smiled back, only this time, it reached her eyes.  
"Am I interrupting something here?" Lex’s cold voice cut into their communication.  
"Lex –"  
"You know," he continued, his voice caustic. "I really just don’t understand this. I’m not  
sure I haven’t been played for a fool. Tell me, Lois — was this your plan all along? You and  
Clark — and maybe even Perry White, all conspiring against me?"  
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."  
"Clark and Perry — I know they’ve mistrusted me, but I never knew you felt that way too.  
Did you set me up? Pretend to hate our alien friend here? Pretend to fear him? I tell you —  
your article series was very convincing. You really had me … I thought for sure you hated  
him. You were afraid of him, and determined to help the world see what they were  
missing. You painted such a horrific future for us all, and now… now that I see this cozy  
tête-à-tête, I have to wonder… was this some kind of setup? Were you hoping to  
somehow bring me down?"  
"Lex, has it occurred to you that you’re raving?" Clark asked  
mildly.  
"People just don’t have a change of heart that quickly," continued Lex, his voice full of  
venom. "So you either planned this together to make me look like an idiot, or maybe it  
was something weird between the two of you? Lois — do you have … fantasies… of being  
enslaved? Of being dominated?"  
Lex paused, and noted with satisfaction that Lois had turned pale. In truth, he was rather  
sure that she had, at one time, been very much afraid of Superman, and he knew this  
would strike a blow.  
<<I don’t like to lose. I don’t lose, and I haven’t lost yet. Don’t count me out of the game,  
because I have big plans for both of you.>>  
"Lex," said Clark, keeping his tone as even as possible. "You might want to watch what  
you’re saying here."  
"Or what? You’ll beat me up, perhaps? Or — what was it that Lois had suggested at one  
point — that you might use that heat vision of yours to render me nothing more than a  
pile of ashes?"  
"Or… Lois might use one of her famous black belt maneuvers on you. If she feels justified  
— and I have to warn you — I have no intention of intervening if she chooses to do so."  
"I’m not afraid of her," he spat angrily.  
"And you have no reason to be afraid of me. You know as well as I that I would never do  
any of those things."  
"Lois didn’t know. She thought you would — she was so sure… or at least, she convinced  
me she was sure. She convinced a lot of people. So is that it, Lois? Your secret wish? You  
wish he would take over the world, enslave humanity and abuse you like that? You have a  
secret fantasy to be –"  
"Lex. Get. Out." Lois found her voice, and mustered all her anger and courage against her  
attacker.  
"Oh — I’m not even finished yet."  
"Luthor, you’re trespassing now. I suggest you get out — now. Unless you want the police  
to show up and have to drag you out of here. I don’t think you’d like that — especially as  
Lois and I wouldn’t really hesitate to ensure it ends up on the front page of the Daily  
Planet."  
Luthor looked at him with an angry sneer on his face.  
"Super-Clark. The most powerful man in the universe, and that’s the best you can do?"  
He smiled, "911 — it’s just a call away, Lex."  
"No need to go that far, Superman." He spat out his name in disgust. "I’m leaving. But I  
warn you both. I don’t take kindly to being played for a fool, and if I find out that you  
really did set this up, I promise you, you’ll both pay. Especially. You." He turned to Lois as  
he said these words, emphasizing each one, so she knew, without a shadow of a doubt,  
that he meant what he said.  
"Lex. Are you threatening her? That’s a *really* bad idea." Clark was angry now, and  
couldn’t even hope to contain it. He kept his eyes away from Lois, not wanting to see her  
shrink from his own anger.  
Lex looked at him furiously, and turned to walk out the door, slamming it behind him.  
There was a long tense silence, during which Clark was afraid to look over at Lois. He  
finally mustered the courage, only to find that she was sitting on the arm of her couch,  
holding her arms around herself protectively. She was shaking. It broke his heart to see,  
but he knew instinctively that I wasn’t his own angry reaction that had provoked this  
response.  
He walked carefully over to her.  
"Lois?" His voice was tentative and gentle as he tried to get her attention.  
"He… he… he means it. He means it. He — he won’t rest until he’s… he’s – he doesn’t  
take no for an answer. Clark. What am I going to do? He’s out to get me." She shook her  
head, and uttered a mirthless laugh. "All — all those months I worked at his side, trying —  
trying to expose you — for what I felt you surely were… and it was him all along. He was  
the threat. The one I should have been … oh Clark — what am I going to do?"  
"Lois. I know — he’s a scary person. That’s why Perry and I have been trying our best to …  
find some evidence that would put him away — that would link him to his crimes. But –  
but — I assure you — he won’t hurt you. I won’t let him –"  
Her eyes were wild and afraid as she looked up to meet his gaze.  
"How can you stop him? If he really means to — he will. He will. He’s so powerful, Clark —  
I’ve been up against that before. There’s no stopping him — no stopping… he’s — "  
"Lois, from any point on the Earth I can get to you within minutes. Most places — seconds.  
I promise — you have my protection — round the clock."  
She nodded uneasily. "I know And… I’m — I — thank you. I’m sorry if I sound  
ungrateful…"  
"No — Lois — it isn’t that. I don’t care about that. I just don’t want you to be afraid of  
him."  
"You can’t … stop how I feel." Her expression was apologetic.  
"No. I guess I can’t."  
"But — knowing you’re … out there… listening out for me… it does help a lot. If it weren’t  
for that, I’m not sure what I’d do."  
He smiled at her feeble attempts at reassuring him.  
"Okay. I’m glad to hear it."  
"Thanks for coming this time. I — I felt stupid calling you, but now I’m glad I did."  
"Any time. And in fact, even if Lex hadn’t shown his true colors tonight — It would never  
be a stupid thing to do — to trust your instincts… to listen to your fear."  
"Thanks."  
There was a short and awkward pause, during with time Lois debated with herself about  
bringing up Saturday’s dinner.  
"Clark? Are you going to Perry’s on Saturday?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Yes- and I hear you’ll be there too."  
"Yeah. Well – I … how about I come by and pick you up?"  
"You don’t have to do that — I can easily fl- uh — get there on my own."  
"Clark — you don’t need to … I can handle that you have these powers. Really."  
"Lois, it’s habit. I’m sorry. I’m working on it."  
"No — please — I’m sorry. I know you’re only worrying about me. I feel badly about  
bringing you to this point. But… and I guess — what I have to say next will just seem silly,  
given what we’re just talking about… but — usually…. When I see you…. Oh…. God… I  
feel like an idiot for –"  
"You want to see me alone so you can …deal with the impact of seeing me before getting  
to the Whites’ house."  
"Perceptive of you," she said with a sheepish smile. "I’m sorry. It sounds really horrible to  
even say this after what you’ve just done…"  
"You do realize you didn’t have a reaction at seeing me today — uh — even when I first  
got here."  
"But — although you do have an excellent point there, I was kind of under the influence of  
my Luthor induced fears. Maybe they overshadowed … I don’t know. If I’m over having a  
bad reaction whenever I see you, then that’s cause for celebration, but I don’t want to  
have to worry about it — and I certainly don’t want to have a reaction in front of them.  
So…I know it’s kind of silly -"  
"Do you want me to come here, then? Save you a trip to my place and then we can just  
head out from here?"  
"Do — do you mind?"  
<<Do I mind spending time with you? Being with you in a car? In close quarters? Do I  
mind? Have I died? Gone to heaven? Did I win the lottery? How did life suddenly get so  
great?>>  
"I don’t mind at all, Lois." And as he said this, he gave her another one of his incredible  
smiles.  
She stared at him, trying not to let hr jaw drop at the effect his smile had on her.  
<<What is it about him that makes me feel so good?>>  
"Okay Clark. Good — then… then it’s a date."  
There was an awkward silence during which time she couldn’t meet his eyes. Her face felt  
burning hot and she was sure she was flushing red.  
<<I can’t believe I said that. Now what do I do? What does he think? Does he think I want  
— I want a real date? I don’t — I might never –I’m not ready for that. What do I do now?  
>>  
"Coffee — the — the least I could do — after you came here to help… hold on — please —  
I’ll go -"  
Before he could say anything, she dashed off to the kitchen and he heard her clattering  
around. Moments later, he heard the sound of breaking glass, and he rushed heedlessly  
into the kitchen to see if she was okay. Out of concern for her safety, he moved super-  
fast and seemed to suddenly appear before her eyes.  
She took a startled step back away from him, her eyes wide and frightened. He could see  
that she was visibly shaking.  
"Are — are you okay — what happened?"  
"I — I dropped a mug… – into the sink — but — but it’s okay — no — not a big mess. I’m  
sorry — I’m clumsy — I — I know -"  
She sounded frightened — as if she was trying to placate him somehow.  
<<Move carefully here. Don’t scare her. >>  
"Hey," he said lightly "It’s your mug, okay — so — no need to apologize to me. I’m just  
glad you’re okay."  
She looked down, her mind raging. Memories from the other world kept running through  
her head, and Clark, despite looking human in his casual clothes, looked very much like  
Kal-El to her at that moment. Worse, Luthor’s words kept ringing in her ears — especially  
his despicable suggestions about her secret fantasies about Clark.  
"Lois?"  
"I’m sorry. I’m — I — I don’t know — I don’t know — what…"  
Her voice broke and she stopped, talking. She looked away from him to hide the tears that  
sprang to her eyes.  
<<Damn. I’m such a mess. >>  
He looked at her hands and saw that they were shaking violently. She was still holding the  
glass coffee pot.  
<<She’s going to drop that.>>  
Without really thinking about what he was doing, he reached over and gripped the pot.  
His hand brushed against hers and she looked at him startled.  
"I’m sorry. Lois — I — can I take this for you, please? So it doesn’t drop?"  
Mutely she nodded and released her grip on it. He moved it to the counter, looking at her  
carefully, trying not to startle her further.  
"Lois." He took a deep breath, and then, as if making a sudden resolve, he repeated her  
name. "Please… look at me?" It was meant as a request, but his words were nearly  
identical to Kal-El’s on more than one occasion.  
<<Look at me. >>  
<<Don’t make him angry. >>  
Immediately, she looked up at him fearfully, confused by the rapidly firing memories.  
"I’m sorry — I didn’t mean to frighten you," he said carefully. "I — it seems like you’re …  
having some bad flashbacks… and I seem to be making it worse."  
"No — no –" Her protests were feeble.  
"Still… I have to say this — and I don’t — I don’t want to make things worse… but you  
need to know… I didn’t — didn’t think you meant date just now. I — I would never  
assume that, you know? I would never assume that you meant you wanted… anything  
more than this… this friendship that we have. You don’t have to be afraid of my ever  
getting the wrong idea — or — of … acting in a way that — that — horrifies you… because  
of a misunderstanding. It — it will never happen. I know that there’s no chance of  
anything like that between us, and I’m not — I won’t ever… make an unwanted move."  
Tears pricked again at her eyes at his words.  
<<He’s giving up on me. >>  
"I — I know- I’m sorry. You don’t deserve this garbage — you –"  
"It’s okay. I’m really okay with the way things are. The fact that they will always be — that  
we will always just be friends. I’m okay with that."  
"What if — what if …"  
<<What if someday I change my mind? How will you know? Will you keep acting like this?  
Responding in a platonic way? What if I want more from you? Won’t you know? Won’t you  
know to act? To react? What if I can’t make that first move? What if I need help? >>  
"What if, what if what?"  
She shook her head rapidly. "Nothing. Nothing."  
He stared at her for a long moment.  
<<Could she have meant…. no… no — no she couldn’t have — especially not now — not  
after what happened, and how she reacted, not now… not ever. She was probably playing  
out different scenarios of possible misunderstanding. I should make it clear to her — I  
won’t ever cross that line. >>  
"Lois — no matter what — you have nothing to fear from me. I will never make any kind of  
… move… on you. I promise. Nothing of the kind."  
She looked at him for a long moment and then nodded slowly. "I trust you. Despite how I  
sometimes act around you – I do trust you."  
"Good — because…" Suddenly he looked distracted for a moment, and then gave her back  
his full and anxious attention.  
"I have to go. There’s a call for help! Is it okay if I –"  
"Go ahead — really — it’s okay!"  
He spun into Superman, and apologized for doing so.  
"It’s really okay –go — someone needs you."  
<<Other than me. I need you. I really do. Don’t give up on me. >>  
As soon as he left, she called Lana, hoping desperately that she was at home and available  
to meet. Thirty minutes later she was letting Lana into her apartment.  
"I’m so glad you came!" She hugged the other woman. Normally, it made her  
uncomfortable to be physically close to others, but she was able to hug those she really  
cared about. She had learned to derive strength and comfort from that contact.  
"Hey — that’s what friends are for," Lana said lightly, picking up on the other woman’s  
tension.  
"I’ve had a rough day. Oh –what an understatement. But first — let me make some coffee."  
Ten minutes later, she handed Lana a cup of coffee, "Just as you like it!"  
"So what did you mean by ‘what if’?"  
"Oh — I don’t know," she expelled her breath in frustration. "I just don’t know. I feel so  
mixed up all the time."  
"Did you mean: What if I change my mind? Or how about ‘What if I want you to make a  
pass at me’?"  
"Lana, haven’t we been over this? You aren’t my type."  
"Okay – okay. All silliness aside, please. I think you’re still wrestling with the fear of ‘What  
if’. It’s no longer ‘What if he’s evil’ and ‘What if he hurts me’, it’s ‘What if he goes away?’  
‘What if he isn’t available when I need him to be’?"  
"Yeah. It goes back to the whole idea that we’re meant for each other."  
"But really — you don’t absolutely know that."  
"Lana. What do you think? Honestly. Based on all that you know about him, about her.  
What is your honest assessment of the situation, and don’t give me any psychologist  
double-speak. What do you really think?"  
Lana looked at her intently for a few moments as if engaging in some inner argument.  
"Lois. Frankly. Honestly. I do think you two were supposed to be together. I really do."  
"Then you see that I have to do something. Things can’t just happen, I have to…"  
"What? Get a lobotomy? Lois — how can you just alter who you are today — you can’t? You  
are what you are, and what experience has made you. You are working at overcoming  
your demons in a healthy way, but what more do you think you should do?"  
"I… I think I should tell him. I should tell him about my … feelings that maybe he’s  
supposed to be the one — and that — while I can’t offer him anything today — maybe he  
could wait until I could offer him something… his choice, of course. You’re going to tell  
me that’s a bad idea. That I’ll be setting myself up for guilt about making him wait for me  
to be amenable to something other than what we now have and that this guilt will bother  
me the way my fear of losing him is currently bothering me."  
"Yes. I do think that will happen. But… but maybe he can work with you in dispelling that  
guilt — making you feel like it’s okay that things are how they are. If anyone can do it –  
it’s him."  
"So — are you saying … I should do it? You’re supporting this decision? I thought you’d  
talk me out of it."  
"Do you want me to talk you out of it? I’m torn — I don’t want to influence your behavior  
unduly, but at the same time, knowing  
both of you as I do, I think it’s a workable idea."  
"So assuming I do have the courage to admit to him that there’s a possibility of something  
more, way down the line… what if he’s not even interested? Maybe he really just loves  
her."  
"Oh Lois," groaned Lana "One what-if at a time."  
"Sorry. I’m just a tad neurotic as you can see."  
"We all are. We all fear rejection. It’s normal. For what it’s worth, I have a strong  
impression that he does have feelings for you."  
"Did he ever say anything?"’  
"He… he might have," she smiled mysteriously. "But it’s not for me to reveal to you  
conversations I’ve had with him — just like I can’t tell him what you and I talk about. It’s  
not patient/doctor crap — it’s friendship stuff. You wouldn’t want me to reveal his secrets  
without his express consent, right?"  
"No — no, of course not. But your answer is encouraging … and frightening. Oh god –very  
frightening."  
"Okay then. Just take a few deep breaths, and remember –he’s not the kind of guy to ever  
act on those feelings without you basically tattooing the message of consent onto your  
forehead. My god — what is it? Did — did I say something –" She stopped talking as she  
noticed that Lois had suddenly gone pale.  
"No — no… it’s just that…" she shook her head, trying to shake the memories out of her  
head. "It’s nothing. Really. That … imagery just reminded me of something … pretty bad  
— from that other world."  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Lana’s voice was gentle and reassuring.  
"Well — I’m — I’m not sure."  
"Okay — okay. It’s entirely up to you, you know."  
She paused a few moments, thinking it over in her mind.  
<<Should I tell her about it? I don’t want to even think about it. But isn’t it all about  
letting go of the fear of the memories? Shouldn’t I talk about it, share it, so it’s less  
burdensome? >>  
"Kal-El … branded me… my first day of captivity."  
Lana was dumbfounded, and she just looked at Lois with growing horror.  
"Hey — next time I want you to stop talking, I’ll just talk about –"  
"Lois, I’m sorry. I … I just — it’s so awful. So awful. A brand? Like with a branding … iron?"  
"Heat vision," she whispered back the answer.  
"Oh god. Oh GOD. Does Clark know? "  
"No And I don’t want him to –"  
"Relax — please — I promise not to ever talk to him about what we talk about here,  
remember?"  
She smiled feebly. "Yeah — I know. Okay. He used his heat vision and he… burned a  
symbol into my back. It’s… uh — it’s small, and it’s high on my back, my shoulder,  
actually. Marking me as… his property."  
"That must have been an intensely painful experience."  
"Major understatement. I’ll show you the mark sometime, when I’m feeling a bit braver,  
but right now — it was all I could do to even talk about it." "Oh — totally understandable."  
"So back to this Clark thing… I think I’ll feel better if I just let him know…"  
"So let him know what?"  
"Oh god. I just don’t know. I don’t know what I feel."  
"I think you feel like if you don’t rush yourself through your healing process, you’ll lose  
him. So you’re trying so hard to be … to not be afraid of him and what being with him  
entails, that you’re torturing yourself."  
"That’s it. In a nutshell."  
"Are you so sure that you’ll be ready… ready to come right out and tell him this? Are you  
sure you’ll ever be ready to take this to another level? A sexual level?" Lana asked her  
softly.  
She shuddered involuntarily. "No. No — that’s the hard part. I’m not sure — I’m not sure  
at all. How — how could I get pat the Kal-El experiences? Even if I could be with a man,  
wouldn’t … wouldn’t the physical similarities between them make it impossible? Plus —  
he is a Kryptonian — and — he has those powers…. I don’t know — I –"  
"Are you afraid that even if you could get past the associations, you would … still get …  
hurt… because of his powers? Forgive me for being indelicate, but the fact that you’re still  
here, alive, well, and not seriously maimed in any way, indicates… that…"  
"I know –I know… I guess…. When Kryptonians are … sexual… they use mental… they get  
in your head. And…"  
"You think he might do that to you?"  
She shook her head harshly. "This is a bad conversation to be having."  
"I think it’s a good one. That you can even have it means that you’ve come so far! Think  
about it for a moment. You are contemplating something that even six months ago would  
have been unspeakable to you."  
"So maybe in five years I’ll be able to hold his hand." She said bitterly.  
"Okay… I know — you’re frustrated by what you perceived to be your lack of progress. But  
from an outside perspective, I think you’ve come a long way.  
"Thanks. I guess — I need to be a bit less harsh on myself."  
"You need to be what you need to be. Don’t stress over it."  
"Okay."  
"So… I have a really important question to ask you."  
"Yes?"  
"What are you wearing on Saturday?" She grinned at her mischievously  
"Okay — so now we have a whole new conundrum."  
"Oh — I was trying to be…"  
"I know — I know — but — I just don’t know. I want to look good, but…"  
"But what…"  
"I’m so…"  
"Scared? You want to look good, but you’re afraid to look good and all that it might  
imply?"  
"Skinny, I was going to say."  
"Skinny?"  
"I’ve lost… my curves. I’m too gaunt. The fact is… I don’t look good in any of my dresses."  
"Nonsense. You look wonderful. Yes, a few pounds — that might be good for you — but  
— you look great."  
"Nothing like Carissa."  
"Screw Carissa. You looked great. Women all over the country would kill to look like you. "  
"Can — will you go shopping with me? Help me find something good?"  
"The press will have a field day seeing us out and about together."  
"I think it’ll be a good exercise in standing up for myself and telling people to back off."  
"There is that. Okay — shopping it is! The best form of therapy that I know."  
Lois laughed. Lana was a fun friend to have.  
Later that night, she lay in bed, a thousand thoughts firing across her synapses. She was  
unable to fall asleep. She was nervous now that she had established a course of action for  
herself and kept tormenting herself with the possible outcomes of her action.  
<<What if he laughs at me? Or what if he delicately explains to me that he doesn’t think  
of me in that way – that I’m like a sister to him? What if he starts avoiding me? What if…  
what if he thinks I’m ready now, and makes a move? What if he kisses me? What if he  
never kisses me? What if he starts trying to push for more in a couple of months time —  
just how patient is he? If it were Lex, he would definitely have an expiration date on his  
ability to wait for the time to be right. He would push the point … physically… heck, he  
already has, and I never even hinted that I might be interested in him. What am I going to  
do? Because if I do nothing, Carissa’s going to get him. If not her, it will be some other  
bimbo. I can’t let that happen. >>  
She slipped into a fitful sleep, and after a while, began to have equally fitful dreams.  
She heard a knocking on her window, and saw him hovering there. As she had done many  
times before, she moved over and unlocked the door.  
"I wasn’t expecting to see you… is anything wrong?" She felt nervous and uncertain. He  
seemed on edge somehow, and it made her feel ill at ease.  
"Yes. Everything is wrong." His voice was urgent and intense. "I can’t take this… I’m sorry.  
I just can’t take this anymore. You told me a year ago that you might have feelings for me,  
but in that year nothing has changed. We’re still exactly the same as we were. I can’t take  
it, Lois. I have feelings too. I have … well — I have needs."  
"I — I’m sorry — I’m sorry," she gasped in shock. "I had no idea — no idea that you felt  
this way — and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to — I’m trying. I’m trying really hard."  
"It’s not good enough, Lois. Something has to change. Something has to change now."  
She turned away in agitation. "You want to … you want to be released from our…  
arrangement. I don’t blame you — I can’t… I can’t justify asking you to hold off on getting  
involved if I can’t… I know…"  
"No. That’s not what I want… I want you."  
Fear gripped her hard. Slowly she turned to meet his gaze and she flinched at the pure  
and obvious desire in his eyes.  
"Clark… no… No! I — I’m not ready, and I — I — I can’t –"  
"Relax," he said with silky persuasiveness. "You don’t know what you can or can’t do  
because you haven’t even tried. It’s okay — I think that the mistake we’ve been making  
has been in waiting for you to feel like you can make that first move."  
He stepped in close to her and she took a startled step backwards.  
"Don’t do that," he said. It sounded very much like a command.  
She could see the desire in his eyes alongside something else. An unwavering  
determination to get his way.  
She shook her head, fearing his gaze. "Please — please — stop this — you’re — the way  
you’re acting… it’s –"  
"Scaring you," he mocked? "That’s an old song. I know that I scare you on occasion. That’s  
the problem. And I think the solution is that I need to make the first move. Make it for  
you, because clearly you can’t do it. I have to push you past your limits a little bit. You’ll  
be glad that I did, in the end."  
"No — no — this isn’t what I want — I don’t –"  
"This isn’t about what you want…" He said angrily. "It’s been about what you’ve wanted  
since you got back. What about me? What about what I want? Right now — I’ve decided  
that sometimes it has to be about what I want. What I need!"  
His anger and impatience were confusing and frightening her, and she stepped backwards  
again, trying to put more space between them.  
"I said don’t do that," he reminded her through clenched teeth. He gripped her arms,  
causing her to gasp out in shock.  
"No, no — no — let’s just… if you can’t… can’t stand the way things are… let’s just… we  
don’t have to — you can see others – it’s okay. I — I’m sorry I ever…"  
"It’s too late for that," he said rigidly. There was a dangerous and domineering edge to his  
voice. "I’ve waited for you and I’m not … giving up… not without some kind of  
concession."  
"What’s wrong with you," she asked frantically, trying to free herself from his grip.  
He tightened his hold. "Don’t make this harder on yourself," he said harshly. "I’m tired of  
waiting. I’m tired of being patient and understanding. Sometimes you just have to take  
what you want. Balance need against need. I’ve decided that in this case, my needs matter  
more."  
"Don’t — I can’t!"  
"It’s okay." His voice was suddenly soothing. "I just want to kiss you. It’s been a year since  
you told me you wanted me to wait for you. I think it’s time we at least got past this  
hurdle. I’m just going to kiss you, and then we can take it from there."  
"No!" She started twisting frantically, trying to free her arms. "Please let go of me — you’re  
hurting me — you really are!"  
"Then stop struggling. You know, I think this is the only way to get through to you. You  
got so used to it in the other world…"  
His voice was rough and angry, and he pulled her closer towards him and kissed her hard.  
She felt her teeth cut into her lower lip and tasted her blood — just like before.  
He heard her crying out, and he rushed to her apartment to see what was happening.  
Upon his arrival, he did a quick scan to see what the situation was and saw that she was  
having a nightmare.  
He was torn. Last time she had a really bad nightmare — so bad that it summoned him to  
her side — he went into her mind. That didn’t seem a good option at this time, so he was  
instead, torn by warring options: Stay and wake her up, or just leave, and try to ignore the  
sound of her distress.  
<<What if her distress becomes real — if Lex comes in and attacks or abducts her — and  
I ignore it — what then? I’d have failed her. So what do I do? Stay out here until it’s over?  
Wake her up? >>  
He felt incredibly uncomfortable at the idea of hanging around, spying on her, while she  
had this awful dream. It seemed that the best option was to go in and wake her up, and  
yet, how to do that without making things bad for her.  
"Clark, No!"  
He felt suddenly startled. He heard her calling out his name.  
<<What is she dreaming about? Is she dreaming I’m in danger? Is she dreaming of Lex?  
>>  
"Clark, No! Please — no — please — stop!"  
He froze.  
<<No. Please don’t let her be dreaming that I’m hurting her. Where would that come  
from? Why would she be having such a dream? I’ve never… or maybe it’s Lex — those  
awful insinuations of his, maybe they set her up for this nightmare. Even more reason to  
loathe the bastard. What if this affects our friendship? Takes us back to square one? >>  
"No — no! You’re hurting me — let go. Please. I’m sorry — Clark!"  
<<I can’t listen to this anymore! >>  
Selfishly he decided he had to wake her up.  
<<She’s better off awake. This must be an awful place in her mind. She must feel so  
betrayed.>>  
He flew over to her balcony and noted that it was unlocked.  
<<Yikes — her door is unlocked. Although this is helpful to my purpose, it’s not exactly a  
good idea, given Luthor and his parting threat>>  
He flew into her apartment and went into her bedroom. As soon as he got in, he realized  
how intimidating it would seem for her to see him there.  
<<She’s better off awake. Or am I better off if she’s awake? Seems I’m doing this for my  
own selfish reasons. If I really care about her, I should let her get through this  
undisturbed, just stay and make sure she’s okay, and then leave before she finds me here.  
Because waking up suddenly and finding me so close to her like this, in her bedroom is  
bound to be further fodder for nightmares.>>  
As he stood there, battling with himself as to the proper course of action, she suddenly  
woke up, and gasped out loud at the sight of a strange person in her bedroom.  
"Who — who’s there?" she called out, her voice shaking. "I — I have a gun!"  
"Um. It’s just me, Lois — it’s Clark — I — you were having a nightmare, you were calling  
out for help, and I just flew over to see if you were in danger. I came in here because, I  
thought I should wake you… so that I wouldn’t mistake a real call for help with a dream."  
He rushed through his explanation, feeling guilty for being there at all.  
He saw her frantically swing her legs out of bed and stand up. She staggered uncertainly  
for a moment, and he had to resist a very powerful urge to go offer her assistance.  
<<She looks so small. So vulnerable. And really cute in those pajamas. I must look  
imposing to her — sucking up all the space in this small room. >>  
"It’s okay — you don’t need to get up. I’ll leave. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.  
"  
She didn’t know what to say. Seeing him there, he seemed menacing to her in the dark.  
All she could see was the dark shadow of his body — the outline of his muscles. He  
seemed dangerous. His voice and manner were reassuring — but her brain was still being  
bombarded with the images from that terrible nightmare. She felt like she couldn’t even  
get a single word out that would make sense.  
<<Try. You have to try. Say something.>>  
"Thank you," she whispered.  
<<That’s better than nothing.>>  
"It’s okay."  
His voice evoked imagery from her nightmare. She squeezed her eyes shut.  
<<It’s okay. I just want to kiss you. You’ll be glad I did, in the end. Don’t do that. I’m  
tired of being patient.>>  
She drew in her breath sharply. It seemed so real, like she was living the moment. All the  
while, he hadn’t moved an inch. She finally took note of his actual body language and  
noticed that he seemed very tense and nervous. A horrible thought struck her.  
<<Oh god. Did he get into my head again? He seems so — he seems kind of upset – he  
wants to get out of here. He’s very uncomfortable. Did — does he know what I dreamt?  
Does he know? Did he go into my mind again? And if he did — how do I ask him? How do I  
get the nerve to ask?>>  
He had hesitated briefly at her fear-based reaction, and then, realizing that he could only  
be doing more harm than good, turned to leave the room.  
"Clark…?"  
He turned. "Yes?"  
"Uh… Uh… " Now that he was once more looking directly at her, she found herself  
completely unable to voice her question out loud. "Um. Fly… fly safely."  
He smiled briefly at that. "I will. Thanks."  
"Oh — and… I’ll — I’ll see you Saturday night. I — I’m looking forward to it."  
This earned her a bigger smile- one that she could hear in his voice.  
"Me too, Lois. I’ll see you then. Still here? Do — do you still want me to come here first?"  
"Yes! Oh — yes! Please!"  
<<She wants to see me here first! She’s excited to see me!>>  
But quickly, his elation faded.  
<<She’s just eager to avoid a panic attack at the Whites. She’s not eager to see me. She’s  
terrified to see me. And she always will be.>>  
As soon as he flew off, she glanced at the phone. It was 10:00 p.m. She had been asleep  
exactly 45 minutes. Was it too late to call Lana? She took a chance and gave her a call.  
"Lana, is this a bad time?"  
"Why don’t you tell me? What’s up? You never call this late."  
"I’m sorry — really — I didn’t want to disturb you –"  
"Obviously you’re upset about something. Do you feel comfortable talking over the  
phone?"  
"I had a nightmare."  
She related her nightmare as quickly as she could and then asked Lana for her opinion.  
"Well. There are a number of different interpretations. One is that you put yourself in the  
role of Clark. You’ve been pressuring yourself a lot, so you might have been venting your  
own frustrations at yourself in your dream. The other is that you were bothered by your  
Luthor encounter — and you mixed the two men up in your mind. And yet another is that  
you are genuinely worried that Clark might act this way if being together doesn’t yield the  
benefits you think he’d be expecting. Does this make sense to you at all?"  
"Yeah," she said glumly.  
"I think it’s in large part the first. You keep thinking that you have to act a certain way.  
You feel frustrated with your own perceived lack of progress. And as a result, you end up  
feeling pressure. As for the middle — Lex Luthor’s visit was traumatizing and he said  
some awful and ugly things. Things that made you, perhaps, question your own feelings  
about what happened. It’s not unusual for victims of violent crime to blame themselves.  
You may have feelings of guilt that you didn’t succeed in escaping. Finally — I’m sure  
there’s a tiny bit of fear of making any kind of commitment to Clark. Of somehow pushing  
him over an edge at some point. But for what it’s worth… Clark would never behave that  
way. As your mutual friend, I can assure you of that."  
"He never… ever… pressured you? You dated in high school, right? Even then — when he  
was a teenager, and –"  
"Never. Not even once. If pressuring was going to happen, it would have gone in the other  
direction."  
"I’m sorry to get so personal — but it’s good to know."  
"No need to apologize."  
"So what should I do?"  
"Just — be easy on yourself here…don’t set yourself up with expectations. Easier said than  
done, but you have enough on your plate without adding your own subconscious  
pressuring you into things you aren’t ready for."  
"Okay… I’ll try."  
"So — did you pick which of the dresses we bought for Saturday?"  
"The black one I think. A standard. Basic black."  
"It looks fantastic on you."  
"Thanks," her voice was dubious.  
‘So much so, that I almost hate you again."  
"Now you’re just trying to make me laugh."  
"What about the other two you bought? You have another choice to make."  
"What do you mean?"  
"My wedding. You’re invited. I’m not planning on having a bridal party, but I want you  
there as my special guest."  
"Oh Lana. I’d be honored to come."  
"Clark’s coming too. It’ll be field day for your guild."  
"Just don’t let Cat Grant anywhere near your wedding."  
"I’m almost positive I’ll end up in her column. We all will."  
"She’s not supposed to dish it up on her coworkers…"  
"Will that stop her?"  
"Unlikely. Not in this case."  
"So screw her. Will you come?"  
"Absolutely"  
"Good," she laughed impishly. "Maybe you and Clark could come together… give you a  
‘safe’ way of going out on a date… without his really knowing it’s a date."  
Lois felt a clenching sensation in her heart as the same thought occurred to her.  
"Maybe we will. Just maybe. I just don’t know."  
She stood outside the beauty parlor uncertainly. The idea of being touched –even by the  
impersonal hands of beauticians made her feel uneasy. She remembered all too well how  
the Kryptonian concubine women had forced her into readiness. Forced her to conform to  
his ideal of beautiful, dressed as he wanted her dressed.  
<<But I’m here of my own accord. But — once again — to look good for a Kryptonian  
man. >>  
She winced a moment at that thought.  
<<But it’s a man that I really like — and I want to look good tonight. I really do. So — so  
this is good. I’m good. I’m okay with this.>>  
Taking a deep and fortifying breath, she pulled the door open purposefully and strode in,  
trying to affect an air of breezy nonchalance.  
The woman assigned to her was pleasant and friendly, and Lois found herself relaxing  
under her easy banter. She was starting to get into an almost meditative state as her nails  
were being buffed, when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.  
"Lois! Lois Lane. Imagine finding you in a beauty parlor."  
Cat. "Hi Cat." She didn’t say anymore, hoping to end the conversation.  
"Getting all shiny and new for your evening at the White house?"  
Lois opened startled eyes. "How did –"  
"People talk, you hear things. I also heard that our luscious superhero is going to be  
there. Care to confirm or deny?"  
"Cat, if I end up in your column, I swear — I’ll –"  
"Oh, calm yourself, dear. You know the rule. I certainly wouldn’t drag Perry through it, not  
if I want to work again in this town. The man is revered by just about everyone in our  
business. No — no — but I just wanted to scratch an itch — you know –"  
"Cat — didn’t you hear about curiosity?"  
"Rumors of my death have been highly over… but then, you know all about that.  
Returning from the death, not just once, but twice. Quite the feat!"  
"What do you want, Cat?" Her tone was weary.  
"Nothing much. I’m just curious about you and Blue-man. Are you two an item now, or  
what? He gave you the juice on the asteroid, and you two have been spotted talking to  
each other — and it hasn’t seemed all that unfriendly — notwithstanding your article  
series."  
"If I tell you that we’re just good friends will you go away? I came here to relax."  
"No problem. I guess if you’re just good friends, it doesn’t faze you that he’s volunteered  
to be purchased during the celebrity auction."  
"What are you talking about?"  
<<Dear god. Did she just say what I think she said?>>  
"You need to read my column, dear. It’s really just a date auction. All the fabulous men in  
town have volunteered — it’ll be a big draw, a big cash cow, and lots of deserving  
charities will have their coffers well lined."  
"Can you talk like a normal person? How is he involved?"  
"Clark’s putting himself up on the auction block."  
The image of him literally up on an auction block gave her a momentary panicked  
moment.  
<<Get under control. Do not lose it in front of this … woman.>>  
"Good for him."  
"Gonna bid for him? I think the lowest bid you can make is 5K. Sadly, too rich for my  
blood… but then, he made it clear that he really wasn’t interested back when we worked  
together. A pity, because I’ll bet he’s just… amazing between the sheets. I can’t imagine.  
Super sex. Do you think he’s faster than a speeding bullet? Because if he is — that  
wouldn’t be any fun. But I’m betting not. I’m betting…. I’d better stop, or I’ll be hocking  
all my worldly goods to get a chance. Of course — it’s not like he’ll put out or anything —  
it’s supposed to be all above the board. Or above the bed. Do you think he floats while  
he…"  
"Cat!" She deliberately kept her voice annoyed and bored. She was anything but bored.  
Supremely agitated was a better description of what she felt. The conversation was very  
close to triggering some unpleasant reactions on Lois’s part.  
<<Please — cat, just go away.>>  
"Anyway, rumor has it that Carissa is coming to town just for the event — and I’m  
guessing she can afford to go as high as needed… being the top model around."  
Lois turned unwillingly towards Cat. She needed to hear more. "How — how firm is that  
rumor?"  
"Why, Lois — jealous?"  
"Of course not."  
"No — because that would mean you’d have to locate that key to your chastity belt."  
"Cat, why do you have to be so damned rude?"  
"Rude is as rude does, darling. Ciao. Time for my facial."  
Lois expelled a frustrated breath as Cat sauntered away.  
<<That woman is such a caricature. Doesn’t she have any depth at all? But could it be  
true? Did Clark volunteer for this — and is Carissa going to … to… buy him? How  
disgusting. How could he do that? Of course — he’s doing it for charity. But… but… what  
if — what if it turns into something else — it’s a date — and she’s gorgeous. A  
supermodel for a superman. Seems like they’d be a perfect couple. I’m sure she doesn’t  
have issues with … with anything.>>  
Glumly, she pondered the likelihood of a pairing between the two, and it ruined the rest  
of her beautifying experience.  
She left the parlor with nicer nails, hair and skin, but her frame of mind was cloudy.  
<<Well — fine. She’ll get that night, but I get this evening… and … am I really jealous? Do  
I really think he’s mine? Shouldn’t I declare myself — but — oh — god – how to do that  
without making any kind of physical promises? How fair is that, to make him wait — if he  
would wait — if he’d be willing to commit without … anything in return. He’s not crazy —  
he’ll never go for it.>>  
That evening, back at her apartment, she was dressed and ready to go. Two hours before  
the event. She was pacing back and forth, terrified and excited by the prospect that he  
would be at her apartment soon. She opened up a bottle of merlot and poured herself a  
small glass.  
<<Just one.>>  
Two hours later, she was nursing that same glass, terrified of the idea that she would be  
too tipsy to drive or act like a normal person around Clark and the Whites. She looked  
nervously at her balcony, waiting for him to swoop in — when she heard a knock on the  
door.  
<<Oh god — please don’t let this be Luthor.>>  
Reluctantly she went to the door, not calling out ahead of time — if it was Luthor, she  
didn’t want him to know she was here. She peered through the peephole, and was  
relieved to see that it was Clark  
<<Why did I think he would fly in? He probably did this so I wouldn’t have to face him as  
Superman. He’s really thoughtful that way. And he looks really handsome.>>  
She opened the door, and smiled tentatively. "Hi," she said shyly.  
<<Dear god. She’s beautiful. Just so… beautiful. Stunning. I can’t believe how gorgeous  
she is. Calm down, boy. Don’t make her nervous. Stop staring, come on… smile. Say  
something. Anything. No. Not anything. Something non-threatening. >>  
He reacted to the sight of her with that same amazing smile he’d given her at Perry’s  
office. Devastating what that smile seemed to do with her mental processes. "Hi, yourself,"  
he said, his voice warm and appealing. It sent an odd tingle down her spine.  
"You — you … you look nice," she said, suddenly shy.  
<<She’s not afraid of me! She’s not having a panic attack!>>  
"You look absolutely gorgeous," he said — unable to stop the words from coming out. Her  
lack of fear had muddled his thinking somewhat.  
<<Oh please — let her not be threatened by that. I didn’t mean to come across so  
strongly. Please let me not have screwed this up.>>  
She was stunned into silence for a few moments. Rather than making her feel nervous, his  
words had sent a jolt of happiness through her.  
<<Does he really think I’m gorgeous? Gorgeous… not ‘nice’, not ‘good’, but ‘Gorgeous’!  
>>  
Realizing she had yet to speak, she remembered her manners as host.  
"Thanks. Uh… did… did you want a glass of wine or something — or are you ready to go  
out now?"  
"I’m good to go… what about you?"  
"Ready! Did — did you want to drive?"  
"Not unless you don’t want to drive."  
<<Let her stay in control — being behind the wheel will give her a feeling of being in  
control.>>  
As they went to her car, she felt oddly self conscious and vulnerable beside him. He  
seemed so suddenly large and powerful. The idea of going out into the dark with him  
made her shiver a bit. She was about to get into a car with him. A small and enclosed  
space… trapped with him. She shivered again, unable to get some dark and nervous  
thoughts out of her head. Her nightmare suddenly felt so close to the fringes of her  
consciousness.  
"Second thoughts?" His voice gently broke into her spiral. He had noticed her reaction.  
"No! No… you know. Just… the usual," she gasped a little breathlessly, trying to remain  
calm.  
"Okay. It’s okay — you know? It’s just me — and… and … not anyone you need to worry  
about." He again spoke with that warm edge that enveloped her and made her feel  
buoyant.  
"I know. It’s just my mind — playing games with me — it’s nothing you’ve done." She  
opened the door, and slid into the driver’s seat. He opened his side, and hesitated a  
moment. "Please, Clark — please… don’t — don’t worry about me– I’m fine, and I want  
you to come in."  
He joined her in the car, moving slowly and casually, trying to exude calm friendliness. He  
didn’t want her to feel menaced or oppressed in the small space.  
"I like worrying about you," he said, saying words he hadn’t intended on vocalizing. "I  
mean — I don’t mind — you should have people worrying and caring… about what upsets  
you, and what makes you happy."  
She smiled at that. He really was a great person. "Sure about my driving?"  
"Why," he asked with mock trepidation in his voice. "Are you… a bad driver? Have I just  
put my life on the edge?"  
"Hardly," she laughed. "I just thought… most guys — like to be the one driving." She  
blushed at the double meaning of her words.  
"Not this one," he said easily. "I — I want you to feel completely in control."  
"Okay," she said, grateful for his honesty and concern.  
She started the car, and they drove off towards the White’s house. She felt suddenly  
tongue-tied. This powerful man who half the time scared her beyond belief was sitting  
idly next to her, his seatbelt fastened. It seemed so every-day — and yet — it wasn’t. She  
was keenly aware of his presence, and had to work hard at acting normal.  
"So… I hear you’re doing that celebrity auction."  
<<Why did I say that?>>  
"Yeah," he said, his voice sheepish and embarrassed "I — it’s for a good cause… you  
know?"  
"Yeah. You — you’ll bring in a lot of charity dollars. It’s really wonderful that you’re doing  
that. It has to be kind of stressful. You never know who will end up – " <<owning you>>  
"- winning."  
"Well – I’m hoping a friend of mine comes through for me," he said with a smile in his  
voice.  
<<Can’t be me! I don’t have that kind of money. >>  
"Do you mean Carissa?"  
"Uh… no — Leyna… Lovely. You know her, right?"  
"Isn’t she… not interested in men?"  
"She’s just really an old and good friend. When she found out I was doing this, she called  
me up and reassured me that she intended to win."  
"I hear Carissa is planning on putting up a big purse."  
<<Leyna has his number?>>  
The thought deflated her a bit.  
"You heard that? Really? Who said that?"  
<<Why does he seem so… interested in this, all of a sudden? >>  
"Cat Grant… not that we were gossiping or anything –"  
"Did she seem sure?" His voice was tense.  
"I — I … I don’t know. Is it important?"  
Realizing he was getting a little intense, he willed himself back to calm. "I… I didn’t even  
know — I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised."  
There was an awkward silence as she struggled to resist the urge ask him for details.  
"Well… it’s for a good cause. You’re good to do it."  
"I was kind of bullied into it — the woman arranging the whole thing is really …  
tenacious."  
"Bullied? Oh come on…" She stopped short  
<<You don’t know the meaning of the word. You never could know what that’s like. >>  
She felt a sudden flush of anger — anger at his casual use of the word. Joking about it —  
this woman pushing him into something he didn’t want to do, when, in fact, he was easily  
able to do whatever the hell he wanted. For a moment, she wanted to scream at him. She  
forced herself to calm down.  
"I guess that sounds ridiculous," he said quickly, aware that he had pushed one of her  
buttons. "I shouldn’t have said that, really – it’s just — I don’t feel comfortable with the  
whole celebrity aspect of who I am. I spent a lot of time trying to be inconspicuous and  
not draw any attention to the fact that I am different… and now — well — I make a point  
of drawing attention to it. It’s a drastic change for me."  
"I can understand," her voice was more relaxed. "I — I know what it’s like — to want to …  
hide. To be noticed less."  
Sympathy rushed through him. Every time he tried to even imagine her plight it just filled  
him with a sense of rage, pain and an intense longing to go find Lord Kal-El and knock  
him out of power so he couldn’t ever hurt anyone again. He shivered a bit as he thought  
that this very moment, Kal-El was probably hurting a woman.  
<<And here we are — off to enjoy fine food, wine and company.>>  
She sensed his tension and stole a brief look. He was looking distractedly out the window  
and it seemed as if he was a million miles away. She moved her gaze back where it  
belonged.  
"Sorry," she said. "I didn’t mean to one-up your…"  
"Oh — no. No — you didn’t!" He turned to her, and their eyes met briefly again as she  
turned briefly to see him. "I — I was just… thinking — about… uh… well — about how  
awful it was for you and how — none of us can really ever understand."  
<<Honesty is the best policy.>>  
"Well — there are people who might be able to understand. People who have undergone  
similar things… they’re out there… but I don’t — don’t want to seek them out. I don’t  
want to know about their pain… just like I’m guessing people would rather not know too  
much about what happened to me.  
"Do you get that feeling from people? That they don’t want to  
know?"  
<<I want to know. Or… do I? Do I really want her talk about what she went through?  
Could I ever handle that? Could I give her what she needs — someone to listen and help  
her share the burden? The truth is, I’m afraid to know what he did to her — to really  
know.>>  
"Yeah… I know I’m not the best company most times… and sometimes I get the feeling  
that… well, my parents and Lucy — they just want me to be better. Lucy is more willing  
and… I guess… able … to hear the details. I think — with my parents, at least, they’re too  
deeply invested in the whole thing. I guess it’s true about having children — the thought  
of them in pain is unbearable to parents. Some parents — I know there are a lot of really  
bad ones out there."  
"Have you wanted to talk to them? About the — specifics?"  
"No. God –no. Not them. I couldn’t ever see myself talking to them. Even Lucy." She  
looked over at him with a brief and self- deprecating smile. "She’s my baby sister… and I  
don’t want her to look at me differently."  
"You think she’d…"  
"She would pity me. She already does, but it would be so much worse. And — I guess I’d  
feel that having her react like that whenever she saw me would keep the memories and  
feelings fresh in my mind. I don’t want that."  
"I can understand that."  
"I’m not even sure I want to talk about the specifics –but sometimes… sometimes… I find  
myself on the verge of just — opening up with details — at the worst times. When I’m  
feeling relaxed and more unguarded."  
"With Lana?"  
"Yes," she said hesitating.  
<<And you. Which would be wrong. Very wrong.>>  
"What holds you back?"  
"I guess paramount is an unwillingness to … get back into those memories. I just don’t  
know what the right thing is. I don’t know if she could handle it. If anyone could."  
"I — I think anyone who really cares about you could handle it. With the exception maybe  
of your mother and father. I understand your unwillingness to talk to them."  
"So — you think Perry could…"  
"He could. And he would if he felt it would help you."  
"Could… could you?" It was easier to ask him this in the dark.  
He was startled by the question — he hadn’t expected her to ask it.  
"I… I — could… if I felt it was what you wanted me to do. If you wanted to talk about it to  
me…. then I’d want to be there for you. But…I also confess to feeling really –"  
"Feeling…?"  
"I don’t know — it sounds stupid… but — afraid. I know — that must be infuriating to  
hear. You lived it — others should be willing and able to hear you talk about it."  
"I don’t — I know that I — it’s hard to face horror — even secondhand. I’ve never been  
able to watch ‘Sophie’s choice’ because I know what the ‘Choice’ was and I can’t bear to  
think about it — that anyone has ever had to do that — even it’s a movie, you know that  
people still have to deal with that kind of choice… on so many different levels… and it’s  
just … unconscionable."  
"I can’t watch that movie either. I’ve never seen it. I feel like I should be able to — If  
people lived it — I should be able to bear witness to it. But it’s hard." He hesitated a few  
moments and then resumed talking. "If — If you ever do want to talk about it — to — to  
me… I’ll be there for you. Although — I imagine I’m last on your list."  
"I – I don’t know. I don’t have a list yet. I just don’t think I’m there yet. But I guess I’m  
heading in that direction, which explains why that urge to spill comes over me from time  
to time. But I’ll keep it in mind," she smiled faintly.  
"Any time. Anything you ever need to get through this."  
"I should make it clear that you can also … lean on me… I know you face horror regularly  
too. Those disasters you always go help with… it has to be hard… dealing with the losses  
of life."  
"It is… and it’s good to know. Thank you."  
<<Fool. He has a million friends, ready and willing to talk to him… to help him… why  
would he need your counsel or comfort?>>  
"Are… you recovered from the asteroid?"  
"You mean physically? Yes — it didn’t take long."  
"Well — I meant — emotionally. I figured you were fine otherwise."  
"I’ve stopped having the daily nightmares," he said.  
<<Why did I bring up nightmares?>>  
"You were really having daily nightmares? Or nightly?"  
"I kept seeing the asteroid — coming at me… a gigantic mass of fire…" he shook his head.  
"It’ll be okay. I’m expecting to be nightmare-free shortly — it just takes time. It was only  
mildly- horrifying in the grand scheme of things."  
"I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to see that thing heading straight at you, even  
knowing that you’re invulnerable. I would imagine — that there’s a part of you that  
wonders — what if my invulnerability fails?"  
"That’s very perceptive of you."  
"You — you sometimes think that way?"  
"All the time. But nobody has ever… guessed it. I wasn’t always invulnerable — and I have  
to say — that when I’m faced with having to step into something that would normally be a  
dangerous thing — a fire, a tornado — it’s a huge leap of mental faith to just step into it.  
To believe that — that I really won’t get hurt. That somehow — while I’m in the middle of  
it all, I won’t suddenly lose my invulnerability."  
"Like a spell — that wears off at the worst possible time."  
"Right… or even…"  
"Even…."  
"Even — just — a trap — a trap that robs me off my abilities."  
"But that’s impossible, isn’t it?"  
"I — I would never lay odds on that bet."  
"That’s awful — feeling that way."  
"It’s not always so bad. Just sometimes. I just have to give myself a mental boost — a  
reminder that I have done this before, and can do it again — I usually overcome that  
moment without hesitating, because hesitating costs lives."  
"Do you blame yourself for any lost lives?"  
"All the time. I always feel that I should be — moving faster, getting there faster… but I  
can’t obsess either. If I do — I’m no good to anyone."  
"You can’t be everywhere — it’s just not possible."  
"Yeah… it’s just hard to accept the losses. We’re here — that was fast!"  
"You’re kidding me. You must be used to getting places much faster. Cars must seem like  
a drag…"  
"Not as horrible as planes. I used to have to take them before my secret was out —  
because how else could I explain the lack of plane expenses when I was sent away on  
assignment. Anyway — this ride seemed to go by pretty fast — must be your conversation  
skills," he smiled at her, trying to project calmness and friendship.  
"At least it distracted you from my driving!"  
"You aren’t a bad driver at all!"  
"I was when I got back — I –" she stopped, her face clouding over. It was so easy to just  
suddenly remember — it was like a ton of bricks falling on her, jolting her back into her  
more usual state of mind.  
"I’m sorry," he said. "I didn’t mean to –"  
<<Break that wonderful magic spell — the one that made you smile.>>  
"You didn’t do anything. Come on — let’s go in. I have to say — I’m kind of nervous — I  
mean… Alice knows where I was and… I’m afraid — worried — that she’ll want to talk  
about it. But I’m guessing Perry probably told her that wouldn’t be a good idea."  
Lois knocked on the door, and Alice opened it. She registered surprise at seeing them  
together and then recovered.  
"What timing – you both arrived at — "  
Lois looked at Clark.  
<<Should we tell them we came together?>>  
Lois was unsure about how to respond to Alice’s remark. She looked over at Clark to see  
how he felt, and he looked back at her, a slight smile on his face. He moved his hands in  
an almost imperceptible gesture that seemed to indicate that he was leaving it up to her.  
Looking back at Alice, and grateful for the unspoken support that Clark had given her,  
she boldly decided to just blurt out the truth.  
"Actually Alice, the reason we arrived at the same time is that we came together. Clark  
was good enough to come by my place first."  
"Oh — but you… you drove, right? That is your car –"  
"Yes. I — I don’t get out much, you know — social occasions these days… kind of make  
me nervous — even with old friends like you and Perry. So I asked Clark to come with me  
so that it would be less awkward than arriving alone."  
"Oh. Okay!"  
"I don’t mean to imply that you make me nervous or anything… it’s just that — "  
"Lois, really. I’m sure it’s hard to… to get back into life. I can’t even imagine," said Alice  
with warmth in her expression. "You don’t need to fret at all — no offense possibly taken  
from what you’ve just shared. Please — please come on in."  
Lois was immediately placed at ease by the sight of her former boss moving over to them,  
his arms outstretched.  
"Lois, Clark! I’m so glad you both could come." He gave Lois a quick hug after checking  
with her wordlessly and getting a slight smile of encouragement.  
"Thank you for inviting us," Lois said. Then she turned sheepishly to Clark. "Uh — sorry.  
I’m answering for you, aren’t I? Kind of rude…"  
He smiled back. "Not at all. You said what I wanted to say anyway."  
<<You can answer for me any time. You can refer to us as ‘us’ anytime. >>  
Alice stole a quick look at Perry and saw a quick look of bemusement flash across his  
features. They would need to talk about this later.  
"How was traffic?"  
"Oh –it was nothing."  
"Well — come on… Lois, can I offer you a glass of Cabernet?"  
Lois looked at Clark quickly. "Oh — well… I drove over here… so — I shouldn’t."  
"Lois — you know, you can always ask me to drive," Clark said easily, not trying to be  
pushy, but trying to let her know that he was willing to accommodate her in any way she  
needed.  
"Oh — but that would be kind of rude…"  
"Not at all. Look — I have a natural tolerance for alcohol. A few glasses never affect me in  
any way…" He trailed off, and then looked worried.  
<<Stop reminding her you’re an alien.>>  
"Oh… okay — well… that’s great then. If you don’t mind?"  
"I don’t. I’m glad to oblige."  
"Great. I’ll be right back," said Perry. "Alice, maybe you could come and get the crudités?"  
Alice smiled at him and agreed and they disappeared into the kitchen.  
Lois looked awkwardly in the direction that they had gone and then turned back to Clark.  
She saw him looking over at the kitchen with an expression on his face that indicated that  
he too was suspicious about their dual departure.  
"So… are they talking about us?" She joked.  
"I — I — I don’t — oh – No. I wasn’t listening in or anything- if that’s what…"  
"No! I was just kidding. I’m sorry. I didn’t think you would ever do that. Um. At least not  
now that I know you," she amended apologetically.  
"I need to learn to take a joke. Sorry about that."  
"No — I realize I don’t really do it that much. I’m … I’m kind of … I don’t know… getting  
used to life, again, I guess. Guess I need to work on that humor thing."  
"I like it when you make jokes." He smiled back. "And I like it when you’re serious too. In  
case you were feeling like you were more fun to be around if you were joking."  
<<Stop it. You’re doing it again. Saying too much. Bending over backwards. It makes her  
uncomfortable when you do that.>>  
"I was just… you know — wondering about it — they both left together… do you think  
that they think something — you know — is going on between us…" She blurted it out  
quickly, and then continued desperately trying to sound casual. "You know — because we  
came together?"  
"Well — I think Perry knows that we’re good friends now."  
<<Good friends. Great.>>  
"So you don’t think –"  
"Oh — well — No — Perry would know better, you know…" He trailed off again. "I feel  
weird talking about this, so please excuse me if I sound like an idiot."  
She smiled. "I should say the same."  
"You don’t. You never do. Sound like an idiot."  
<<Ok. Stop. Stop right now. Before she figures out you’re in love with her.>>  
"Thanks," she smiled back, in what she felt surely was a goofy way. "I … I — I guess I  
thought maybe — because… they kind of looked at each other strangely earlier on —  
and…"  
"I saw that too. So — yeah — maybe. But — you know — we can always set them straight,  
you know — if it makes you feel awkward."  
"No — no — no need. It’s okay. I’m okay."  
<<I’m okay with people thinking I mean more to you than a friend. Really.>>  
"Does… Alice do this often?"  
"Do what?"  
"Try to set you up…"  
"You think this is a set-up?"  
She flushed red, realizing what she had just said. She winced at the embarrassment of it,  
and ducked her head.  
"Uh… I guess — probably not."  
He saw her reaction, and was confused. Was she upset? Embarrassed? What should he say  
to her?  
"Lois — I think it may have initially been one, but once Perry explained things to her…  
well… I’m sure she realized how crazy the idea was. I don’t think she has any false hopes  
at this point."  
Lois felt her heart sink.  
<<Crazy. False hopes. Yeah. Right. So what am I doing anyway? Why do I care? Why does  
this hurt me? I can’t give him anything – so what do I expect from him in return? >>  
"Oh…yeah. I guess you have a good point."  
<<Darn. Well — were you hoping she would declare her love for you? No. Well. Yeah. Kind  
of.>>  
"She’s never done it before though."  
"Done what?"  
"Tried to play matchmaker with me."  
"So…"  
"You’re the first." He realized what he had said, and flushed a bit red himself.  
She felt the tingle of embarrassment at his unintentional double meaning, and quickly  
tried to cover up her embarrassment.  
"So — maybe she didn’t …"  
"Actually — I think she did… intend it. It was in her voice, when she first invited me… a  
certain coyness — like she was planning something."  
"I wonder why — you know? Why she thought you and I … well… you know — you can  
have any woman in the world."  
<<Not any woman. Not you. Not the only woman that matters.>>  
"Well — we do have a lot in common. And…"  
"Oh — and there was that other Lois."  
"Yeah, I guess…"  
"I mean — maybe she thought you…"  
"Lois, maybe we just look cute together," he said, trying to lighten the atmosphere and  
also dig for more information.  
She flushed pink at his words and looked away.  
"Lois — sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I…"  
"No! You didn’t. I — I didn’t even think about him… can you believe that? The word ‘cute’  
… could never even remotely describe him anyway."  
He winced, and she caught it.  
"Sorry. See, if I let myself start down that path of thinking… but I don’t want to. I’m here  
to have fun. With you and with them. And I won’t let Lord Kal-El get in the way of that."  
"You can — you know. You don’t have to put on a brave front, If you are really upset —  
please… at least not for my sake, okay?"  
"Only if you promise not to worry about what you say."  
"Lois," he said, smiling sadly. "I can’t promise that."  
"Well… you know — neither can I."  
"Okay. I get it. Touché. How about we just both try?"  
"Yeah. Deal."  
"Good."  
"Sorry we took so long, kids," said Perry sounding not the least bit apologetic.  
"No problem, Perry. We completely understand," said Lois meaningfully.  
He looked at her evenly and then looked over at Clark. "Oh, so we’re that obvious?"  
"Only just a little."  
"I’m sorry, we just…"  
"Had to talk about us. It’s no big deal."  
"What’s no big deal?" asked Alice.  
"We’re busted, Alice. Lois figured out that we were gossiping."  
"Perry!" She flushed red at his audacity.  
"Alice, it’s okay. Look. You probably want to know the real reason why Clark and I came  
together. I… I tend to have these awkward panic attacks sometimes — when I first see him  
— sometimes he reminds me of… not in anything he says or does, but just… you know —  
a trick of memory… and it can get ugly. So — I asked him to come by first so I could …  
get that over with."  
"Oh. Lois," said Alice compassionately. "What you must have gone through."  
"Anyway," said Lois, attempting lightness in her tone. "I didn’t have a panic attack. Not at  
all. I saw him as Clark, and that really made me feel good. Maybe there’s hope for me yet."  
<<Maybe there’s hope for us.>>  
"You’re hardly hopeless," said Perry. "But — I am so glad that you didn’t react that way."  
"It’s been a year. You’d think I’d be further along in getting back to normal –"  
"Not at all. Most people wouldn’t have come nearly as far. Lois — you’re quite  
extraordinary," insisted Alice. "You have a very strong character, and that’s what enabled  
you to survive living your own life again. I’m really amazed at you."  
She flushed red. "Thanks Alice," she said, feeling awkward with their praise. "I just feel  
badly about Clark." She turned to look at him. "You had to put up with my articles, and my  
antagonism and…"  
"Lois, I would have felt like you feel, if roles were reversed. Your reaction was completely  
normal given your experience. I’m just glad we ended up friends."  
She looked into his eyes a long moment, lost for a few moments in his gaze. Then she  
forced herself back to reality. No point in making the Whites even more confused about  
what was going on.  
"Me too."  
"Uh. Kids. Alice here has given me some pretty strict rules about talking about Luthor…  
and I don’t want to spoil a perfectly good evening with friends … but there’s something I  
really just need to tell you both, and then we can talk about more pleasant things. Okay?"  
"What is it — you sound really serious."  
"This is serious, Clark. Lois. I hate to ask you this… but do you know anything about a  
fellow named Jason Trask?"  
Her sharp in-drawn breath was answer enough. All eyes turned to her.  
"Uh. Yeah. I do. He… he’s a government agent… and he’s rather anti-Superman. In fact…  
he’s convinced that Clark here really is a front-man for some future invasion," she said  
quietly, looking over at Clark apologetically. The topic was making her very nervous, and  
she was dangerously close to thinking about Lord Kal-El again. She forced herself to see  
Clark’s gentle eyes when she looked at him. Not Kal-El. This is NOT Kal-El.  
"Is this okay to talk about," Perry asked her gently, picking up on her turmoil.  
She swallowed hard. "Yeah. It just… evokes…nightmares… but… it should be said. I think  
Trask is a threat to you, Clark. He thinks that there’s some magic rock out there that can  
kill you, and he is determined to find it. I never met with him in person, but he hounded  
me a lot when I was writing my articles…" She trailed off, and looked down, feeling really  
foolish again.  
"How did you find out about all this?"  
"Sources," she grinned, suddenly mischievous. "You know — my sources. But… you know  
— many people think he’s a nut. Especially because of this magic rock thing. Why on earth  
would a rock hurt Clark? What are you supposed to do with it? Throw it at him?"  
"Well… Actually…"  
"Clark? Is… there such a thing?"  
"Yeah. Actually there is. Perry is the only other person who knows about this, by the way."  
"How can a rock hurt you? I just don’t get it?"  
"Alice, this rock is radioactive… and I think the rocks are chunks of my home world. It  
makes me sick on contact. Really sick — you know — lying on the ground, unable to  
stand up, unable to breathe… and that’s just the initial exposure. After a while, it would  
kill me."  
"Oh my god. That’s the ultimate in… bad irony, I guess… I mean — your own planet can  
kill you?"  
"Yeah. Talk about salt in a wound, right? But — that’s how it is. I don’t know how Trask  
found out about this… but I … I guess if he knows, I need to start keeping my eyes  
open… if he ever found this stuff, and if he really thinks I’m a threat to Earth, he will  
probably be trying to kill me."  
"What worries me is that he’s hooked up with Luthor. That can’t be good," Perry  
interjected.  
"What do you mean? He’s talking to Luthor?" Lois was aghast.  
"Well — he has had several meetings according to my sources… and…"  
"Clark!!" Lois’s voice was frantic. "This is very bad! You remember what Luthor said. He  
hates you. He wants you dead. If he gets this rock — you- your life won’t be worth much  
at all. Oh god. What are we going to do!"  
Clark looked over at her, and his feelings of trepidation were overridden by the sheer joy  
of seeing her worry about him. She must have some good feelings about him if she was  
that worried.  
"Lois," he said quietly. "He’s always been a threat. But we can stop him… we just need to  
work at it."  
"Well…well…we should work together, Clark. I mean — you, me, and Perry. We need to  
stop him!"  
"I think that’s a great idea," said Perry. "Mad dog Lane will be an invaluable asset to our  
team!"  
"Mad-dog?"  
"Sorry Lois. I couldn’t resist. But you are a good reporter. One of the very best. I’m glad  
you’ll be helping us."  
"Absolutely. I can’t think of anything more important than stopping him. Especially now.  
Can you imagine? Clark — you need to promise us — you’ll be careful with him? Don’t  
take any chances! Don’t let him lure you anywhere alone, okay?"  
He smiled at her. "I promise. I don’t underestimate him, Lois. I promise you that. I know  
he could be a big threat to me."  
"Okay…" Her voice was unsure.  
"Lois… I mean it. I don’t think I’m … totally…unstoppable," he said, an apology in his  
voice.  
<<Like he did. I am not that arrogant about my powers.>>  
"He didn’t think anything could hurt him," she said, her voice a  
tight whisper. "Are you saying that this thing could have hurt him? All along we could  
have stopped him?"  
"Lois… maybe… but — you know — it’s not like it was readily available to you."  
"There were… rumors… of a resistance movement… comprised of humans as well as  
Kryptonians. I wonder if they knew about this stuff — if they were… looking for it?"  
"I hope so."  
"Me too," she said, her voice ragged. "They deserve to be free again… you know? But back  
to the topic at hand. We need to form a plan of attack –"  
"Lois… can we shelve this — just for one night?" Perry’s voice was slightly pleading.  
"Please? Don’t get an old man in trouble with his wife."  
"Perry!"  
"Sorry… sorry… I guess I reacted strongly. I — I just couldn’t stand it… if he killed you —  
Clark…"  
<<Great. Wear your heart on your sleeve.>>  
<<She cares! She cares! She cares! >>  
"Lois — please don’t apologize for caring!"  
<<She cares!>>  
"Okay. So — back to more pleasant stuff. I’d like to raise a toast to the return of Lois  
Lane." Perry’s voice suddenly became hoarse with emotion.  
"I’ll definitely drink to that," said Clark.  
"Me too," said Alice.  
"And me," smiled Lois. "I hope never to disappear again." Her  
expression darkened a bit at that.  
"Lois. I promise — if you do… I’ll find you."  
"I’m counting on it," she said with a forced smile  
Later, as they drove back home, Lois looked over at Clark.  
"Sorry about the whole … over reacting thing."  
"Lois — really — you have no reason to apologize."  
"I guess… I just felt — so scared suddenly. So out of control. So helpless. I hate that  
feeling. I swore I’d never feel that way again… but if you were gone…"  
"I couldn’t protect you from him. I know. Lois — I won’t let anything happen to me… I  
know Luthor is a threat to you – and –"  
"No! Not just for me," she protested. "I would — be very unhappy… if you were… killed."  
"Oh. Oh … well… thanks! Uh… same here."  
Just then, he pulled into her parking space.  
"Oh — wow. That was quick."  
"Hey. I drove the speed limit!"  
"I wasn’t implying … oh… a joke."  
"Lois… can I walk you to your door? I… not to… not trying to… but… just to make sure  
everything is safe for you… okay?"  
"Clark — please come in for coffee. Please. I really want you to."  
"I wasn’t angling for –"  
"I wanted to ask you anyway — and if you hadn’t asked to walk me to the door I still  
would have asked you."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Clark. I enjoy being with you. I … I know I’ve reacted badly in the past and I can’t even  
promise not to do so in the future… but when my mind knows that you are you, I have a  
really good time with you. I really hope you’ll accept my invitation."  
"Gladly."  
"Good." She smiled. She forced herself to ignore her inner tremor of fear.  
<<This is Clark. He won’t hurt you. He won’t misunderstand the invitation to mean more.  
This is Clark. The safest man in the entire world next to your father and Perry.>>  
He saw the quick fear come and go and felt a surge of sympathy. But he knew not to  
mention it. Her demons were hers to slay. He could just hand her the swords she  
needed… and maybe keep them sharp for her, but mentioning her fears to her would only  
upset her.  
She unlocked her door, trying to ignore the sudden apprehension she felt at him standing  
next to her — so tall, strong … imposing…  
<<Clark. This is Clark. Not Kal-El. If it were Kal-El, he would already be hurting you. >>  
Her breathing was becoming shallow.  
Clark felt her fear increase. He had to say something. "Listen. Lois? I… I don’t want you  
to…"  
"Clark. It’s okay," her voice was tight, and her answer was snappier than she would have  
liked. "Please — I know I’m having a minor panic attack, but I really want you to be here.  
Okay?"  
"Okay," he said meekly.  
"I’m sorry. I didn’t’ mean to…"  
"Please, Lois. No need. Can I help you with the coffee?"  
"Did you want coffee? Or more wine?"  
"Wine is good…" he said, suddenly feeling awkward.  
"Okay. Red fine?"  
"Yes."  
"One moment then — please make yourself at home!"  
A few moments later, she joined him in her living room, precariously carrying a bottle of  
wine and two glasses. He sprung to his feet and reached out for the wine to help her with  
her burden. The sudden movement made her heart jolt in terror but she forced herself not  
to react.  
"Sorry — did I startle you?"  
"Uh…. Kind of… but…not your fault… his… fault… really."  
"Oh…"  
<<Startle. Scare, more like it.>>  
"I’m trying to be honest about it — with myself… as well as with you. Is that okay?"  
"More than okay."  
"I also… wanted to be honest about something else… and now that I’ve had enough wine  
to … uh… short circuit the voice of reason…"  
"What is it, Lois?"  
"Umm… it’s the whole date auction thing."  
"What about it?"  
"I… I…. I hate that you’re doing it." She blurted out suddenly.  
"You… hate it? Why?"  
"I… I don’t want you going out with … Carissa — or any of these other women who want  
you to go out with them." She sat down opposite him, and put her head down in her  
hands. "I can’t even believe I’m saying this."  
"What… why don’t you want me to do this? I mean… is it because of him? You don’t want  
me dating anyone because of him? Or…I mean — I understand he hurt you… but — "  
"No! Clark — No! I’m not afraid of you hurting anyone. But… it’s just this… and I’m really  
going to hate myself for saying this… god… I should just shut up… I can’t do it. I can’t  
say it."  
"Lois," he said, a slight hoarseness to his voice. "You can say anything to me. Anything at  
all."  
"I’m… I don’t want you dating anyone, Clark." She winced at herself.  
<<Why can’t I just shut up?>>  
"Lois… why?" He was trying very hard to keep the note of hope out of his voice. She  
couldn’t mean that she was interested in him. No. But then — what else could she be  
saying?  
"I…. I … it sounds awful. Clark. I realize I act like a freak whenever you’re around… but…  
I… like you… and… I’m afraid that if you start dating someone, you might get serious…  
and then… there won’t ever be a chance… for… for us."  
"Us?" Hope flared in his heart and refused to be quenched down. "There’s an…us?"  
"Well- I mean — if you … were interested in there being an us…and…" She trailed off, her  
face burning hot. "Oh god. Clark. I’ve done it — haven’t I? I put my foot in it…"  
"Well… the only thing you’ve done… is… given me reason to… uh… be hopeful." He  
admitted, feeling really shaky about saying it to her.  
"Hopeful? You’ve… had… hopes? About us?"  
"Don’t — don’t… please… don’t be scared," he said, suddenly urgent. "I know… that…  
you might not ever… be able to… deal with me in a relationship kind of way… I do realize  
that…" He said, unable to meet her eyes at this moment. "But yeah. I kind of do have a  
crush on you… and… it’s not because of her, either… if that’s what you’re wondering. I  
kind of wonder if what I felt for her was just… an echo of what I could feel for you. But —  
I’m saying too much again. I don’t want to scare you, Lois." His voice was pleading.  
<<Help me say this, Lois. Without hurting you.>>  
"You… mean… you have feelings for… for me?"  
"Yes."  
"Can you…look at me?"  
"No. Ok. Yes." He lifted his head so that their eyes met. She saw the fear and hesitation in  
his expression and her heart went out to him. His apprehension gave her strength.  
"So… looks like we kind of feel the same here…"  
"You — how can you?" His voice was awed.  
Stung, she looked away. "You think…like Luthor thought? That I somehow… am addicted  
to… Kal-El’s brutality?"  
"Oh god no. I’m sorry. I had no … that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry. I wasn’t…"  
"No. I’m sorry. I guess… I feel that maybe it is a bit… insane of me to feel this way. I don’t  
understand it. All I know is that I feel awful whenever I think of you with any other woman,  
and I feel … proprietary about your time. I hated it when you were gone," she admitted. "I  
can’t believe I’m saying all this. It’s like turning on faucet — the water just spills out."  
"I’m glad you’re saying it," he said, his voice suddenly husky.  
<<Oh god. He sounds… so sexy. Sex. I can’t go there… not now. Maybe not ever. I  
should tell him.>>  
"Clark…. I don’t know… if — if — if –"  
"It’s okay," he said, his voice suddenly soothing. "I understand."  
"Maybe not ever," she whispered. "So — I have no right to ask… you … to wait for me… to  
be in a holding pattern…"  
"Lois – I want that. You aren’t asking anything of me that I’m not willing to do — to give.  
You want time? You got it. Even if — you never… can… I — my feelings for you are very  
strong — and even the chance that… we might mean more to each other than friends…  
hell – you already do — mean more to me than a friend… that’s… that’s everything to me.  
As you can see… I’m kind of being honest here too… and afraid of it. I’m afraid of scaring  
you."  
"You aren’t." She was lying. She was terrified. Terrified of the promises she might be  
making. Of the words he might be hearing. "I wouldn’t ever… presume that you wanted  
anything more," he said astutely.  
"I …"  
"That day you had that nightmare? I mean — that night… I — I … I heard you talking in  
your sleep. I might as well just continue this honesty thing."  
"Oh," she said, shattered.  
<<My god. What did he hear?>>  
"Lois," his voice was pained. "Were you – was I hurting you in your nightmare?"  
She flushed and turned away. "Well… Clark — it was a nightmare. Those things are  
never… real… just a churning together of all my thoughts and fears –"  
"I just… I know — a nightmare is out of your control… but — I need you to understand-  
I’d never ever do that. There’s no provocation possible. You know? None. And… I need  
you to understand that. Otherwise …"  
"Otherwise?"  
"We can’t even consider this…"  
"Oh. Yeah. Well… Clark…I — intellectually… I know it… and I’m sorry you heard that… I’m  
sorry I had the nightmare… I’m not really ready to talk about it… but …standing here with  
you… I do feel safe… I mean — I know you won’t hurt me in any way."  
"Good," he said, relief evident in his voice. "I’m not sure what we’ve… said to each other  
really…"  
"I guess I should clarify. I don’t want you dating anyone," she said, with sudden firmness.  
"I want you to give us a chance…even if us is… not what an ‘us’ should be… I promise to  
work on healing… can you handle that?"  
He smiled at her, and she felt herself get lost in that incredible smile of his — the one that  
made her feel like the most important person in the universe. She felt her heart thudding  
in response.  
"I can handle it."  
"I just… can’t believe… I said this stuff," she said, suddenly embarrassed. "Promise you  
aren’t… just … horrified by all this?"  
"Please don’t," he said pleadingly. "I don’t want you to regret this. I’m … beyond happy  
that you said what you did. You are more courageous than I am. I do care about you –  
very much. And…I never believed this would happen."  
An awkward silence descended and she realized she should make some kind of gesture.  
<<Move to his couch. Sit next to him. Come on. If you can’t even do that- how can you  
have any kind of exclusive relationship?>>  
Her legs felt like lead weights, but she forced herself to overcome that feeling and she  
stood up. Her heart was roaring in her head, and she felt very weak and dizzy. Ignoring  
the pounding of her heart, and the squeeze of terror around her lungs, she forced herself  
to sit next to him. She put her hands in her lap and looked at them, suddenly fascinated  
by the sight.  
"So… so now what?" Her voice was very hesitant.  
<<Do you kiss me? Do I kiss you?>>  
"Would… it would help if you looked at me," he whispered back, trying desperately not to  
make it sound like a command.  
She squeezed her eyes shut against the wave of terror. She felt like she was standing on  
the wing of a plane, preparing to jump.  
<<Just jump! Come on! Jump!>>  
She licked her lips, and then opened her eyes, and lifted her head. She looked him in the  
eye, hesitation and worry in her expression, and she smiled briefly- it was as sheepish  
self- mocking smile.  
"Uh. So…I’m…making eye contact," she said nervously.  
"You… you asked … what we do now… and… I don’t know. I think we… just… spend time  
with each other — kind of like we’ve been doing… if it’s what we want to do… and…not  
worry about what we think we ought to be doing. You know?" He was trying to tell her  
that the physical aspect of their relationship was something far off into the future, but he  
didn’t know how to express it in words.  
"But Clark… don’t you… shouldn’t we…"  
"No shoulds… just… just what is. Okay?"  
She was grateful for his sensitivity and her next smile was actually genuine. She took a  
deep breath, let it out, and nodded. "Okay. But… let me just do this."  
<<Do it! Just do it already. Jump. But I’m scared. Don’t worry. The parachute will open —  
but even if it doesn’t — he knows how to fly. He’ll rescue you.>>  
She closed her eyes against the sudden wave of vertigo, and leaned in. Sensing where his  
lips were, she leaned in and brushed her lips against his. It was a brief contact, and then  
just as suddenly, she withdrew.  
<<My god. I — I just kissed him. I just… god… what did I just do? I can’t believe I just did  
that! I kissed him. It wasn’t… horrifying. Great. How romantic. Kissing you wasn’t horrible,  
Clark! Still want to date me? Oh — no — but what if he thinks… I can’t … give him more  
than this. Not now — not yet. What if — >>  
She pulled away, her face flushing deep pink. She could feel the heat of the flush and was  
grateful for a second that the room was very dimly lit. And then, cursing herself for her  
stupidity, she realized he could see perfectly well — dark or light. No hiding here for her.  
"I — I — I …I can’t believe… I just did that," she said, her voice low and agitated.  
He had hardly dared to move during the entire encounter, terrified of somehow triggering  
a panic attack… terrified that if he dared put a hand on her arm or shoulder, or waist — or  
any of the other typical responses to being kissed by the woman you loved — that he  
would somehow unconsciously mimic an action carried out by the man who had hurt her  
so badly in the first place.  
<<Let her take the lead. Every step of the way.>>  
"I’m kind of — stunned myself," he said, trying to somehow make sense of what was  
going on.  
"Uh — I kissed you." Her voice was wondering. "I really did that. " Insecurity swamped her  
as she remembered it had been more like brushing her lips in the vicinity of his. Not much  
of a kiss. "But — it wasn’t much of a kiss — it — it was nothing — right? It was … mostly  
nothing."  
"Or…everything, depending on your point of view," he said, trying to say what he was  
feeling without intimidating her. It was a very fine line to walk.  
"I — I — oh… yeah. Is… is that your point of view?"  
"Pretty much."  
She sprang up and started pacing, her body coiled and tense… her movements short and  
sharp. He could feel the worry emanating from her — it didn’t even take their connection  
for him to feel that. He desperately wanted to go up to her and offer her comfort — in the  
form of an embrace… something to make her feel safe… but he knew that was the last  
thing he should do. He didn’t want to appear unaffected or distant either, especially when  
he was feeling so many strong things right now.  
"Oh… Oh… yeah… god… Clark… I — I — I kissed you."  
"You did."  
"Was — was it okay? It’s been — a … while — since … I kissed someone… on — my own  
volition."  
That last phrase brought hot fury into his heart and he had to fight to push it back down  
where it belonged. Rage for Kal-El didn’t have any place in this conversation.  
"Lois. It was — really … wonderful."  
"So — you don’t regret — what we — agreed on?"  
"Not at all. Do –do you? Because if you do — please tell me — please don’t — be afraid to  
–"  
"No! I — I don’t. I – I wasn’t happy before. I had all these feelings — of worry — of  
jealousy — of frustration. I’m glad — that we understand — how each other feels — but…  
that kiss… that –"  
"Did — did you … have any flashbacks?" His voice was tentative. He knew she hated  
talking about it.  
"No. No — thank god. No. But…" She looked at him directly, worry evident in her eyes. "I  
just don’t know — if I can do this… again… for a while. You know? I — I — I really am  
afraid of those flashbacks. And — I’m — just nowhere near ready — for that. Is — that  
okay?"  
He saw the pure anxious anticipation on her face as she waited for his answer. All though  
it broke his heart to see her waiting for his answer so fretfully, it made him feel a little  
better that she wasn’t acting as if she expected him to attack her. That was something.  
"Lois. I — said it before. There aren’t any rules for us — you just have to do what you want  
to do."  
"But what about what you want? I mean — do you want me? Like that?"  
"Well — yeah. I do." His answer was carefully delivered as he watched her for any negative  
reaction. "But — you know — so what? Right? I mean — so — I would love to be kissing  
you right now, it doesn’t mean we should be doing that — I don’t want you to do anything  
just to … make this relationship conform to what you think it should be. I promise you,  
Lois — if I ever feel like I want things to be different, I’ll tell you."  
His words both elated and frightened her. The idea that he, right now, right at this  
moment, might be feeling sexual desire for her — made her feel somewhat trapped. But  
there was also a sense of — relief — that he wasn’t somehow agreeing to do this out of a  
misguided sense of guilt for what the other Kal-El had done, or … even worse… pity.  
"Oh-" was all she could say.  
"You’re — important to me… do you understand that?"  
<< You’re mine. Do you understand that?>>  
Kal-El’s brutal words echoed in her head and she winced against them, too startled to try  
to modulate her response.  
"Lois? Are you –"  
<<I’ll show you what it means to be mine!>>  
"No! I — I — No!"  
"Lois? Please! Answer me!"  
<<Answer me, when I talk to you!>>  
In her minds eye, she saw his raised hand ready to strike a blow, and she flinched.  
He saw her reactions and realized — that right now — he wasn’t even here to her. She was  
somewhere else and he was just provoking further flashbacks.  
"Lois — I’m sorry. I — I don’t know what to do for you. I — I…"  
She looked at him suddenly, fretful eyes meeting his in direct contact. "I can’t get him out  
of my head," she wailed. "He just won’t leave me alone!"  
"How can I help? If at all?" His voice was soothing and low.  
"I don’t know," she said, not looking at him anymore, unable to deal with the sensory  
input. "I — I — you have to know that this will happen. More often than … not… I’m  
afraid… and — and — I need to know — that you can handle that."  
"I can handle anything, Lois … for you… but — I just don’t know what to do."  
"That’s the part you have to be able to handle," she said, looking back at him anguished.  
"Not being able to save me — because sometimes… I have to save myself."  
"So — what do you want me to do — when it gets like that?"  
"I wish I knew… it would be easy if I could answer that — I just don’t know. Leaving —  
doesn’t seem to be what I would want — but also — sometimes I feed off what you say. I  
guess — each circumstance will — be different. Right now — I’m… I made it okay. But —  
he’s there now –" she shook her head, her face twisted in frustration and disgust. "He’s in  
my mind, and he’s tainting things. It’s just so — it makes me so angry! I — I never  
got a chance to — tell him how much I absolutely hate him!"  
"Would… telling me … help? I mean – since I look like him?"  
"Not with your eyes the way they are," she said, laughing mirthlessly.  
"What? You mean — my heat vision — you don’t ever have to –"  
"No! I mean… I mean — your eyes are so different. Warm. Kind. Accepting. You don’t look  
out at humanity with … contempt… you don’t look at me and see — property. You radiate  
honor and – and that’s what drew me to you — against my own wishes… I didn’t want to  
feel this way. I’m not saying I regret feeling this way — I know that — before all this  
happened to me I would have … given anything — it seems — to feel this way — It’s just  
hard. It won’t be easy — and I need to know — that you understand that. Do you?"  
"I do. I don’t expect it to be easy. I — I’m not — I don’t fool myself into thinking that you  
can just forget him — forget what happened. Obviously not. It’s — a part of your life."  
"Just give me time — to work it through. I apologize in advance for hurting you, because  
— I know I have and I know I will."  
"You don’t need to apologize for that. I have my eyes open for this."  
"Where do we go from here?" Her voice was small. "I feel so bad that I — had this  
flashback — things were — so great tonight."  
"Overall they still were."  
"Do… do you want to — get together — soon?"  
"Always," he smiled at her. "How about — I give you some space… what about  
Wednesday?"  
"I don’t — do I need space? I don’t know…"  
"If you decide you don’t — give me a call," he said.  
"Right. Stalk you."  
"No! You wouldn’t be stalking me. I love being with you. That’s not the issue — I just  
don’t want you to …"  
"I know. Okay. So — I can call you — and if I don’t — want to get together — or feel up to  
it… that’s okay — you won’t feel wounded?"  
"Not at all."  
"But if I do — you’ll be happy about it?"  
"Yes… unless of course, there’s a disaster calling my name… in which case — I might not  
be able to –"  
"I know. I just don’t want to feel like I’m imposing."  
"You could never impose. Ever. Not in a billion years."  
"You could… you know — call me — too — just to talk…"  
"That’s good to know. Thanks."  
"So… just to be clear here — you will tell me — if I’m overdoing it — as far as you’re  
concerned… in your life too much –"  
"You couldn’t ever do that. I just can’t even imagine a time where I’d think I was seeing  
too much of you. I — do you think that I’m just going along with this — out of some sense  
of…"  
"Guilt? Pity? I… worry. I mean — look at you — and then… what do you see in me?"  
"You… do own mirrors, right? And beyond your obvious — beauty — there’s the fact  
that… the person that you are… just — draws me to you."  
"You aren’t just saying that."  
"No. Why — why do you think I am?"  
"Rule 1 about Lois Lane — I’m insecure and neurotic. A lot of women are, so I refuse to  
feel like a weirdo about it… but — I guess – being — treated the way I was — as long as I  
was — tends to take away your sense of personal worth."  
"Okay — I can see that," he said. "The last part of what you said… I can see it… I don’t  
know how to — reassure you then – that my feelings really exist — and — are nothing at  
all like pity or guilt."  
"Because you’re modulating how you react to me –" She flushed as she realized what she  
had said. "I don’t mean — physically — but — well — yeah — physically — how you look  
at me — your body language — you’re trying so hard to be non-threatening that you  
come across as almost indifferent. I’m not complaining – about how you act… I know it  
kind of sounds like I am – but…" She expelled a frustrated sigh.  
<<Tongue-tied. I’m always tongue-tied. Me. Multiple-time Kerth winner.>>  
"Lois," he said, dropping the veil for a few moments and letting the full force of his  
emotions come through in his expression and voice. "I — am as far from indifferent to you  
as I can be. If you trust anything about me – please… trust in that. I don’t pity you. I don’t  
feel guilt about you. I really like you. A lot. I’m really – really attracted to you, in a way  
that goes far beyond friendship."  
<<Please, Lois. Don’t be afraid of what I feel for you.>>  
She looked at him a long moment, mesmerized by the change in his expression.  
<<Wow. Or Yikes. Or both.>>  
Finally, she nodded, licking lips that felt suddenly very dry.  
"Okay… thanks…"  
"Is it okay that I told you that?"  
"Yes. Yes- I – as much as it … seems – like… I might – be uncomfortable with stuff like  
that… I need to know. I want to know."  
"And – I want to share those feelings… I just don’t want to mess this up. Uh… on that  
note… I’m… going to go now. Is that okay? You look tired — and…"  
"Yeah, yeah… I am. I — I’ll call you tomorrow."  
"I’ll try hard not to wait by the phone," he said smiling. He stood up and made for the  
door.  
"Clark. You know — you can fly out of here — if that’s easier for you."  
He looked at her uncertainly. "I’m afraid — of…"  
"You won’t. You know. Or maybe you might. Scare me. But — that’s a part of you — the…  
uh… the … Kryptonian part of you… and… I have to… get over it."  
"No — you don’t… at least — not right at this moment."  
"I can’t — be… involved with you — and be afraid of… Superman. It’s crazy. You’re one  
person — it’s just the clothes. Please… just indulge me. Okay?"  
"How can I say no to that? Are you absolutely sure?"  
She nodded, not really trusting herself to speak.  
He decided to take her at her word. She needed to go through things in her own way, and  
if this is how she wanted it — then this is what he would do. Feeling awkward and  
conspicuous about her watching, he spun into his suit. He forced himself to keep the  
same body language he had been keeping with as Clark. There was no reason for him to  
slip into his superman ‘persona’ around her — no need to keep her at a distance. "Still…  
okay?" he asked carefully.  
"Yeah," she said, somewhat breathlessly. "I — I — admit to feeling a bit more… anxious —  
than before… but… you’re not… you’re still Clark."  
She walked over to him, her steps a bit forced and awkward, and she stood so close she  
could feel the heat of his body.  
"Clark? Should… I … we … as a goodbye — thing… you know? The customary way that —  
people who — are… dating… say … goodbye?"  
He looked at her, seeing that she was steeling herself up to do something that clearly  
alarmed her. He bent forward, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and then  
straightened back up.  
"Will that do?"  
She smiled at him, grateful for his sensitivity. "Yeah. It’ll do."  
Her smile dazzled him.  
<<God. I love you, Lois. Someday I’ll even tell you that. >>  
He walked to the balcony and then looked back at her right before taking off. "I feel like  
I’m going to wake up tomorrow — and this will never have happened."  
"You can’t escape me that easily," she said, with a smile.  
He felt a sudden chill run through him at her words. Not wanting to alarm her he gave her  
an answering smile and then flew off.  
Her words filled him with dark thoughts. The idea of her trying to escape from Kal-El —  
and failing… and being made to suffer for it… made his heart ache so badly that he felt  
that he would go insane if he couldn’t go into that world and at least try and teach Kal-El  
some kind of a lesson for what he had done. He had never felt this urge for payback so  
badly. It terrified him — because he knew that if he ever directed that feeling towards a  
human — he could cross lines that should never be crossed. He knew that hiding his  
reactions to her reactions was going to be a challenge — but he had to do it… anything  
else would just upset her.  
She watched him leave, and as soon as he did she felt a sort of regretful loneliness at his  
absence. Even though the sight of him in the suit had made her feel a bit worried… she  
had still wanted him to be there.  
<<I wonder if he misses me like that… as soon as we part? Or is this obsessive on my  
part? Could it be that I just need that good feeling that being around him gives me? It  
keeps away this other feeling — that I feel — when I’m alone, and get to think about all  
that has happened. And — he seemed a bit… distracted when he left — that last smile  
didn’t even reach his eyes… it was after what I said. I hope he doesn’t think I’m stalking  
him… but then — he said he didn’t. He doesn’t come across as the kind of guy to lie  
about his feelings just to make me feel better. He’s smarter than that. But — what was it?  
What did I say? Oh — of course… you can’t escape me… I must have — made him …  
think… about it. What does he think about when he thinks about what I’ve gone through?  
Is he angry and hurt for me? Afraid for me — afraid I’ll never recover? Or — is he —  
disgusted — in any way — that I let … I let myself be – used like that? I’ll have to ask him  
someday – but I just can’t see asking him any time soon. I’ve had enough soul- baring for  
at least a few days. I’m tired. I guess I’ll go to sleep. I really hope I don’t have nightmares.  
God. I miss him already. I wish he’s call me. Call me and … just … call me. >>  
She stared at the phone, and found herself willing it to ring. On cue… it did.  
She picked up the phone in eager haste practically falling over in her excitement to hear  
his voice again. She was once again struck by the sheer craziness of the situation.  
<<I am excited about hearing his voice again!>>  
"Hello?" She tried to keep the sound of her excitement out of her voice. No point in  
scaring him away with her enthusiasm.  
She heard the tense sound of silence — and although she couldn’t hear breathing or a  
voice, she knew that there was a presence at the other end of the connection.  
"Hello?" This time her voice was unsure, and she was fighting to keep the trembling out.  
Again, there was no response, and she hastily dropped the phone back down in its base.  
She was shaking, and she backed away from the phone as if whoever had called her could  
somehow do harm just by reaching out through the phone.  
She backed away to her couch and sank down into it, adrenaline coursing through her,  
wiping out all of the warm and happy feelings that she had had from talking with Clark. In  
there place was a sick sense of dread and foreboding.  
<<Oh god. Who was that?>>  
The shrill sound of the phone ringing jarred her already heightened nerves.  
<<Please. Please be Clark. Please. Please. Please.>>  
She slowly walked over to the phone, no eager haste pulling her forward — rather, she  
was fighting an urge to stay as far away from the machine as possible.  
"Hello?" She tried to keep her voice neutral — no point in giving whoever it was a thrill.  
Again. Silence.  
She slammed the phone down refusing to keep playing this game, and turned the ringer  
off. She stared uncertainly at the machine for a few long moments.  
<<I could call him. I could call him and tell him what’s happening — maybe he’d come  
back and… and what? Stay here all night? I can’t call him… it’s too weird to call him, and I  
don’t want him thinking that I’m so paranoid that I can’t even deal with this on my own.  
No point in being high maintenance — or more high maintenance than I already am. But  
I’m scared — I’ll never get any sleep tonight… I hate this — this being alone. It’s awful. I  
… I could call Lucy — and ask her to come here… it’s not really that dangerous to be out  
at this time, is it? She could always call Clark if she ran into trouble… that’s it — I’ll call  
Lucy! >>  
She picked up the phone and dialed her sister with quick and nerveless fingers. As soon  
as she heard her sister pick up the phone, she gasped urgently into the receiver.  
"Lucy! Thank god you’re home!"  
"God, Lois, it’s three in the morning. Is something wrong?"  
"I — well… kind of… I got this hang-up call… and it’s really freaking me out."  
"Oh — god ! Well — want me to come over?"  
"Yeah," she said, her voice suddenly small and unsure. "Is that okay?"  
"Of course! I’ll be over in 10 minutes."  
"Be — be careful. Okay — if you have any problems — call… call Superman, okay?"  
"Don’t worry, I’m out late all the time. But I’ll call him if I need him."  
Lois resisted the urge to call her sister every minute on the minute after she hung up the  
phone. Lucy would be okay. Lucy would be there soon. She felt almost as if she wouldn’t  
be able to contain her fear for even 10 short minutes, when she heard Lucy’s knock at the  
door. She rushed over and looked through the peephole. Seeing Lucy outside, she opened  
the door for her.  
"Come in! Come on! Quickly!" She shut the door, and then locked all the bolts.  
Lucy watched her fearful sister, and tried to hide the expression of horrified pity at this  
frightened woman her sister had become.  
"Thank you so much!" Lois grabbed her in a tight hug, trying to keep from breaking down.  
"Oh. Lois." She hugged her sister hard, trying to impart to her  
some strength. God knows, Lois had done the same for her throughout most of their  
lives.  
"Oh Lucy — it was — I was scared. I feel so much better with you here…"  
"Do you think someone’s stalking you?" Her voice was hushed as she asked the scary  
question.  
"I know that Lex Luthor has it in for me… and that’s bad enough."  
"Oh my god."  
"He hates me, Lucy. I … rejected his advances, quit my job with him, and then had the  
audacity to make friends with Clark."  
Her face fell. "Lois — a lot of people are angry about that, you know… you may have  
picked up a few enemies."  
"You mean in addition to all the people who hate me because I’m responsible for them  
being in jail, and all the people who hate me for daring to write bad things about Clark?  
Yeah. I know. I’ve had a few nasty encounters with my fellow journalists. It seems they all  
resent my getting the asteroid story after being so horrible to him. It could have been a  
random stranger making prank calls — but something inside me tells me it’s not."  
"If you feel that way, it probably wasn’t. You ever read ‘The gift of fear?’"  
"No… and fear isn’t much of a gift if you ask me…"  
"No — no — really. Really. It’s an amazing book — it doesn’t teach you to be afraid — it  
just talks about how people have learned to suppress their natural ‘gift’ of being able to  
sense danger.. animals have it, and so do we — but we talk ourselves out of that fear, or  
we block sensory input — by wearing headphones and listening to music while we walk,  
or by talking on the cell phone… we ignore our environment, and wander blithely around,  
which, if you think about it — is very dangerous."  
"Are you saying that we should blame the victim for not paying proper attention? I –"  
"No! Never. But we CAN tune in more to our own feelings, and our environment. In doing  
so, we can protect ourselves better. We have to. If a rabbit is killed by a bear, is it the  
rabbit’s fault? The bear attacked the rabbit, the bear was hungry — and it’s almost an  
inevitability to get killed by some predator if you’re a rabbit — but the rabbit is able to  
avoid a lot of predators by using its instincts. We have those instincts and we can and  
should use them."  
"It’s not like I could have ever foreseen or sensed Tempus popping into existence –"  
"No — that’s definitely outside the norm. I’m sorry — I didn’t mean to imply that you  
could have prevented what happened to you… but it’s a really good book. Worth a read.  
He wrote one about protecting children too."  
"I’ll check it out."  
"Cool."  
"So… I have something to tell you — and I kind of don’t know how to start. Uh.. you know  
that Clark and I have become friends… right?"  
"Yeah. I think it’s great. I know why you felt the way you did — and I don’t blame you at  
all for it — but I’m relieved to see that things have gotten so good between you. If  
anything — he’s a good friend to have, just because he’s such a nice guy."  
"Well… it’s actually … we’re kind of more than friends now," she said, not able to look her  
sister in the eye as she uttered those words. "I — I — kind of told him that I… might…  
have feelings for him… maybe… and — I — I even kissed him."  
"My GOD!" Lucy’s voice rose to a scream, causing her sister to flinch a bit from the sound.  
"Lucy! Please…"  
"How could you LET me stand here and jabber away for a good 20 minutes about other  
stuff when you should have been telling me about this? This is huge! You kissed him! You  
actually kissed him! How could that not have been the very first thing you said when you  
opened the door? Lois! How could you hold out on me! My god! My god!"  
"Okay… Okay — I know — I know it’s huge."  
"So — so how was it? What did you say? What did he say? What did he do? Did he kiss you  
back? Did you kiss again? Oh god — oh god — please tell me — you didn’t — it wasn’t  
awful for you, right? You didn’t react badly? Oh — that would be so awful – "  
"Lucy… Lucy — please. I can’t get in a word."  
"Oh. Oh – Sorry. Sorry. It’s just so HUGE. You kissed him! You told him you had feelings  
for him — I mean — this is so glorious, Lois! This is just — amazing."  
"I — yeah. I know. It is — it is pretty amazing," she said, a smile forcing its way onto her  
face.  
"Oh — so it was good? Really good? I always imagined he would be so good to kiss!"  
"Lucy!"  
"No — no… I mean — I — I do find him attractive, Lois — but — I know that he never saw  
me that way, And I’m fine with that, you know — I’m not madly in love with him — if he  
had encouraged it in any way, I probably would be — but you two are soul-mates Lois —  
meant to be… which is probably why you ended up being attracted to him despite it all!"  
"Soul-mates? Isn’t that a little — spiritual — for you?"  
"I know, I know — but I believe it. I do — and he does too — and — and — deep down,  
can you honestly say you haven’t wondered?"  
"He thinks we’re soul-mates?"  
"Didn’t he tell you?"  
"He told me he was… that he really liked me — but –"  
"Oh. Lois. Come on. He’s madly and forever in love with you. That’s a definite."  
"No …" Her voice trailed off uncertainly. "No — he can’t be."  
"Oh. Should I not have said anything," she was suddenly distressed. "You aren’t afraid now  
— are you? You’re afraid to get involved? You don’t have to be afraid – don’t you see —  
this makes him even more … safe. A man who loves you would never hurt you — uh —  
physically. Doesn’t it help to know his feelings aren’t just based on physical attraction?"  
"It’s not that I think he’ll hurt me… well –not physically — but… I – I could really hurt  
him… and that… hurts me…"  
"Because you love him."  
"No! Lucy — no — I don’t know that I –"  
"You love him. You do! And you’re denying it…. But you do love him… admit it!"  
"Oh — I don’t know! I don’t know…. It’s too much, Luce. Too much to think about. Please  
don’t push me — I can’t … I — I can’t face those feelings just yet. Let me enjoy — the way  
things are now. Okay?"  
"Okay — okay — we’ll stop talking about this… we can talk about — about you kissing  
him! How was it? Was it great? It had to have  
been — right? Unless it was awful — because of that bastard… oh god — was it? Was it —  
did it make you think of him? Please! I’m dying here, Lois! Talk. Spill!"  
"It… it wasn’t awful. It — it… it was scary — and I think that’s all I felt — just the utter …  
overwhelming emotional impact of what I was doing — that I forgot to really … feel it. I …  
I think it would have … it only lasted a split second — it wasn’t even really a kiss… I just  
kind of brushed his lips with mine."  
"Oh — but what a start! What did he say?"  
"Well — he… I kind of had to prompt him — he’s … unwilling to say or do much to freak  
me out."  
"Did he like it? Come on…. Did he try to kiss you again."  
"No — I mean — yes — I think he liked the fact that I kissed him… whether he liked the  
kiss itself… or whether he was disappointed — I really don’t know… but — no — he didn’t  
try again — I think he knew that he should just be as passive as possible in the  
encounter…"  
"You have to have an idea as to whether he liked it or not — come on!"  
"Well — I think he did!"  
"Lois!" Her voice rose in an excited squeal again. "Of course he did!! Did he say he did?"  
"Please — Lucy — stop yelling — it’s three in the morning — my neighbors will start  
complaining! He… yeah — he did… he did… tell me. And … when he left, he even … he  
even kissed me –"  
"Oh my god! I thought you said he was passive about it –"  
"On the cheek," she finished, smiling despite her earlier fear. Lucy’s enthusiasm was  
bringing her back to that warm happiness that Clark had left her with.  
"Oh… oh — well –"  
"Come on, Lucy — you know he couldn’t have done anything else."  
"Actually — it’s so damned sweet," she gushed. "So utterly Clark to do something like  
that. So I guess you’ll never wash that cheek again!"  
"Do I look like Marcia Brady? But… yeah — it was a really nice — thing."  
"How come you never told me that you were falling for him?" Lucy tried to keep the hurt  
out of her voice, but knew she was unsuccessful.  
"I… I didn’t want you to get your hopes up. I know how you feel about him — and me —  
and how we are supposed to be together — and — I was afraid your enthusiasm… might  
feel like pressure. I’m sorry. I needed to get here by myself — not because of what you  
wanted."  
"But, Lois — you never do what I want — so why –"  
"Subconsciously I might have. I might have gotten caught up in your feelings and — I had  
to be sure — that I was with him for the right reasons. Even now — I wonder…"  
"Wonder what?"  
"If I made a huge mistake. When I think of having NOT done it, I feel really bad –I’m glad I  
told him — but at the same time, I feel this sense of pressure now — this sense… of being  
— almost… owned. Like — I somehow belong to him now."  
"Well- you kind of do — but I think — doesn’t he also belong to you? Isn’t that kind of a  
heady feeling? Of all the glorious women in the world who want him — he’s yours?"  
"Possessing someone… disturbs me. It brings back a lot of… a lot of horror."  
"I’m sorry. That was insensitive. Of course — of course it would."  
"It’s okay, Lucy. You weren’t there — it’s natural you wouldn’t really see it the way I do.  
But yes — it feels — almost like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I don’t have to  
worry about losing him while I try to heal from what happened to me. So I guess I’m just  
really ambivalent. It’s okay though. The overriding emotion right now is happiness and  
relief — relief that he didn’t reject me, and relief that he knows that there’s …  
something… something maybe worth waiting around for. All those other women out there  
— they try to –"  
"Get their super-model claws in him. I know. Makes me sick."  
"Lucy… how different is what I’m doing from what they are doing?"  
"They don’t love him. You do."  
"Lucy!"  
"Are you going to tell him about the phone calls?"  
"Only if they keep happening — I’m hoping it was just a random thing."  
"Did you get anymore?"  
"Uh — let me check the call log… I turned off the ringer."  
She went over and scrolled through the call log in her caller ID box.  
"No. None — I hope… I hope it doesn’t mean that someone is watching me and knows  
that I called you…"  
"Lois… you need to tell Clark about this. If someone — like Lex Luthor — is… stalking you  
— he needs to know now."  
"Let me give it a day or two — if it continues — or if I continue to feel… like something  
bad is going on… I’ll call him. Okay?"  
"Okay. You’d better. Because if you don’t — I will."  
"Lucy –"  
"I lost you once. I’m not letting that happen again."  
The next day, Lois and Lucy spent the morning together visiting their parents. Afterwards,  
Lois spent the rest of the day by herself. She spent a long time wandering around  
Metropolis, and as she wandered, she thought of Clark.  
<<I want to call him. I really do. I miss him — I even want to see him. But — I can’t… not  
with all this hanging over me. He’ll know something is bothering me — and he’ll probably  
be way too… considerate — I guess is the word… to push for answers. But he’ll know —  
and then I’ll feel like I’m hiding things- and I don’t want to start things off like that. We  
should be honest with each other. I don’t want to feel like I’m keeping important things  
from him. At the same time, I don’t want to be an idiot about this. Now that I’m out of the  
apartment, and now that it’s broad daylight — I feel kind of like I might have overreacted.  
Things always seem more frightening at night, when you are alone, and especially if  
you’re sleep deprived. It’s probably nothing, and I’m just overreacting because of my past  
trauma. I can handle this on my own. But I can’t handle seeing him — no matter how  
badly I want to — I just don’t want him to feel like I’m keeping secrets. I hate this! I hate  
feeling like this! I don’t want to feel like this! And what about him — how will he feel if I  
don’t call? Will he feel badly? Will it make him feel like I’m not thinking of him, or that I  
didn’t want to talk to him? I guess it’s a step in the right direction that I’m not obsessing  
over making him angry. I wish I could call and just leave a message. No — really – I really  
just wish I could see him — to talk to him… to have him smile at me the way he does. But  
— I’ll see him soon, and I’m sure by then, this will be over. Done. In the past.>>  
As the day drew to an end she debated sleeping over at her parents’ house. Lucy had also  
offered to stay another night, but Lois felt like either of those choices would be handing a  
victory to whoever was threatening her.  
<<No one chases me out of my home! >>  
Regardless of her indignant bravado, she was terrified to go home.  
She arrived at her apartment, and stood for a long while in front of the door before she  
finally got up the nerve to put the key in. As soon as she was in, she felt that the walls  
were closing in on her. She felt panic and dread squeeze her heart.  
<<God! This is my home. I should feel good walking in here. Happy. Safe. Not like this —  
not sick with dread. I can’t let whoever is doing this to me win!>>  
Looking over at her answering machine, she saw the blinking light that heralded the  
presence of a new message and nervously approached the machine. She stared at it a long  
while, and then finally forced herself to reach out and stab the play button.  
‘Hi Lois. It’s Clark — I hope you don’t mind my calling. I had to call — I just wanted to  
hear your voice — and hey — hearing it on the machine was a decent substitute for the  
real thing! Hope you’re doing well — and that you managed to get some sleep last night. I  
miss you — and I’m looking forward to seeing you again! No need to call back or anything  
— I just felt like saying ‘Hi’ — and so… ‘Hi’!  
She caught herself smiling at the simple friendliness of his message. He seemed much  
more comfortable talking with her than he had in the past — even on her machine, and  
she thrilled to the fact. She also was pleased to note that her own reaction was a good one— instead of feeling threatened or menaced by his voice, she felt suddenly a little safer  
and happier than she had before.  
She checked her caller ID log, and verified that there had been no other calls. Realizing  
that she was holding her breath, she slowly released the breath out of tense, taut lungs.  
The feeling of relief that she felt was short-lived, however. The night was far from over,  
and there was still plenty of time in which to get another hang-up call.  
Worse, it was likely that if this was a deliberate attempt to frighten or stalk her, the caller  
would likely repeat the pattern of calling late at night. That thought filled her with a sense  
of impending dread, and she paced her apartment restlessly, not wanting to give into her  
weariness. But finally she decided that the best thing she could do was get some sleep. If  
anyone broke in, she could call Clark — he would be there in less than a second.  
<<I really am safe. Mostly safe, that is… but… he’s really — it’s like he’s here. I can count  
on him to help me. He always does — and he always will.>>  
At 1 AM she was brutally awakened by the shrill sound of the ringing phone.  
<<Oh god. Not again.>>  
She felt her heart pounding in her ears and throat as she edged closer to the phone, it’s  
jangling ringing piercing her senses. She stood quietly, waiting for it to stop ringing.  
Maybe if whoever it was thought she wasn’t home… Finally, it stopped, and her machine  
picked up. She waited tensely for her machine to finish the greeting and then she listened  
carefully. There was long silence, and then a menacing click. This wasn’t a wrong number.  
It was a deliberate attempt at scaring her.  
As she knew it would, the phone rang again. Despite expecting it, she jumped back in  
startled fear. Fed up with it all, she picked up the phone in angry haste.  
"Who is it? What do you want?" Her voice was angry and challenging.  
<Click>  
Lois threw the phone down as if she were shaking a furry tarantula off of her arm. She was  
trembling wildly and she felt an old and very familiar sense of helpless panic overtake her.  
She was very tempted to cry.  
<<No. I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not give in to him. I survived Lord Kal-El. Whoever  
this is can’t hurt me. I won’t let him.>>  
She stared at the phone in loathing and thought about what she could do. She wanted  
very badly to have Clark there. Desperately. She wanted him to stay the night even. Not as  
a lover of course — that was still far too horrifying to contemplate, but her worries in that  
direction were eclipsed by her current situation. She knew she couldn’t spend another  
moment there alone.  
An iron hand seemed to squeeze her heart as a desperate plan took form.  
<<I have to get out of here. Now. Right away. >>  
Danger lurked, and she had to get away from it. Immediately. If she stayed, she would be  
hurt. She had to leave. Driven by this instinctive and frightened urge, she quickly rushed  
around her apartment throwing things that she would need in a bag. She  
grabbed her purse and keys and rushed over to her front door and peered out the security  
window to see if there was anyone out there.  
<<No one. It’s clear.>>  
Emboldened by her adrenaline surge, she flung open her door and headed for her car.  
Wildly trembling fingers failed on several attempts to insert the key into the lock, but  
finally, she was in her car. I have to get one of those remote door lock things. She quickly  
locked the doors after ensuring that she was alone in her car and drove hastily out of her  
parking spot.  
Once she was on the road, she took a deep breath.  
<<Safe. For now. I hope. I hope. I am. Safe. No one can hurt me now. I’m a moving target.  
I’m not a sitting duck anymore. >>  
Now that she was a little calmer, she began to actually think about what she was doing.  
<<Where the hell am I going? I could go to mom and dad’s… or Perry’s… or Lucy’s… or…  
dare I even think it… Clark’s? Is that where I really want to go? Oddly… strangely…  
miraculously… it is. I really do want to go to Clark’s. Of course — it’s because I know I’m  
safe with him — very little can hurt him, and if someone is after me — I’ll be most safe  
with him… right? And it’s not like he’s going to get the wrong idea… he wouldn’t, would  
he? He won’t think I’m making a pass or anything… no… he wouldn’t. He’s far too aware  
and worried about what I might be thinking to ever think that. So… I’m safe. I don’t need  
to worry… about him… doing anything — unwanted. But… then there’s the other thing.  
Won’t he wonder why I hadn’t told him about this before? I could tell him that it just  
started happening — but I can’t lie. I’m really bad at lying, and worse… I’d feel awful  
lying… Kal-El used to accuse me of lying when I hadn’t. He would accuse me of coming  
on to his friends… of throwing myself at them — and when I denied it, he would tell me I  
was lying. Of course, he did that just for his own enjoyment. It amused him to make up  
reasons to hurt me. To make it my fault — even though we both knew it never was my  
fault. But Clark — he wouldn’t ever hurt me. It’s … me hurting him — that I want to avoid.  
I don’t want him to feel badly — what if he walks away from us — what if he thinks a  
relationship without trust isn’t worth having? Because it isn’t… and since it isn’t… and  
since I want this… I have to tell him the truth. >>  
As she fretted about his possible reaction, she stopped at a light. Her car idled for a few  
seconds and then her engine sputtered to a dead stop. Repeatedly she tried restarting it,  
but to no avail. She was stranded.  
<<Damn Stupid Car! Why does this kind of thing keep happening to me? Did I break a  
million mirrors in a previous life? Why me? I cannot believe it. This is incredible. Here I  
am… I’m out at this ridiculous, lonely and scary hour — driving to a man’s house to  
spend the night because I’m too scared to be at home. And not just any man. A  
Kryptonian man. Not just any Kryptonian man. THE Kryptonian man. The man who is the  
identical twin to a man who made my life a living hell. And why am I doing that? Because  
some bastard is trying to scare me out of my mind. So … thank you FATE for doing this to  
me. I really appreciate it. Really. Thanks. You shouldn’t have. Really. Really shouldn’t. It’s  
hard enough for me to be doing this — going to his place — unannounced… in the middle  
of the night… god — this is hard enough. I didn’t need added trauma. Whoever is  
scripting my life had better change things soon. Otherwise, I won’t be held responsible  
for what I do. You hear me out there? Make things better!>>  
After her initial outburst of anger, she tried to get herself under control.  
<<Ok. Girl. Relax. It’s not really as bad as all that. I can just call him for help. Yell — help  
Superman. It’s not like I won’t already be waking him up. This is nothing. He’ll be here  
instantly. So just do that. Yell. Help. Superman. Help. Do it! Come on. Why is it so hard?  
I’m not afraid to see him — it’s not that… I’m just — oh — god… damsel in distress. I  
hate that so much. I don’t want him to see me as so damned needy all the time. Of course  
— going over, in the middle of the night because I’m afraid of a stupid wrong number?  
Yeah — that’s high up there on the needy scale. You know what? This really sucks!>>  
Self pity won, and she started crying. Everything seemed so hopeless.  
<<Why do things always have to be so hard? I don’t know what to do! I don’t know what I  
should do. >>  
Suddenly, she heard a voice outside her car.  
"Lois?"  
She jumped in fear. She saw a shape outside and it took her few moments to realize it was  
Clark. Or — in this case, Superman. She opened the door, unbuckled her seatbelt and  
stepped outside.  
"Oh god. Clark! How — how did you know — did I broadcast to you or something?"  
"Actually — I just happened to be out… a call for help and then I saw your car. What’s  
wrong, Lois? You’re crying! Are you okay? Did something happen to you?" He was horrified  
to see her like this — fearing that something awful had happened. He desperately wanted  
to ask her where she was going at two in the morning, but he repressed that urge firmly.  
He didn’t want her to think that he was being possessive, jealous and controlling.  
<<God knows, she had enough of that from Lord Kal-El. >>  
"I — I — Oh Clark. My car won’t start up again! I’m stuck… I was stuck here."  
"Why didn’t you call for me?"  
"I… I didn’t want to –" Look like a helpless idiot. Which is what I am.  
"You didn’t want to… call me?"  
"No. You don’t understand. I — didn’t want to bother you. I know — you’re thinking that  
it’s not a bother… but to me — I’m tired of always needing help! It bothers me. You know?  
It bothers me — to always need help!"  
"Okay," he soothed her. "I can see how it might sometimes feel like you do — but mostly  
— it looks to me like you’ve been doing fine on your own."  
"It doesn’t feel like that," she whispered.  
"Okay. I’m here though — so can I help you?"  
"Yes," she said softly.  
"Uh.. it actually looks like you’re out of gas."  
She looked at her gauge and groaned.  
"Am I really that stupid? My god — I could have sworn I had at least a quarter tank. I never  
run out of gas… Clark — maybe… could someone have done this — deliberately?"  
"Sure. It’s possible."  
"But not likely. Right? I mean — you’re thinking I probably just forgot –"  
"No. Lois. I don’t think that at all. Do you think this was a deliberate act ? If you do, then I  
do too."  
"Uh… well… maybe…"  
"So… do you want me to take you home? I can get your car after I drop you off and help  
you get it fuelled tomorrow."  
"No!"  
"You… is it — you don’t want to go flying with me? I get that… it’s okay… I could call you  
a cab! And I can wait here with you — because… I can’t just leave … I’m sorry — I don’t  
want to be in your space or anything — but it’s late out, and … isolated… and – "  
"I… I — I didn’t mean — I … I don’t want to go back home. Don’t you want to know where  
I was going?"  
He looked at her with a guilty expression in his eyes. "Well… I was kind of wondering —  
only because it’s so late. But you know — I really don’t want you to feel like … I don’t  
want you to think I’m –"  
"Like Lord Kal-El. I know. I… I can see that. But I want you to … to act normally around  
me, Clark — if this thing — if it has a chance, we have to learn to be normal around each  
other. And normally — you’d ask someone — right – if I was a stranger — out this late,  
like this? Wouldn’t you?"  
"Actually — no. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t know you. Especially not then. I don’t want  
people to feel like I’m threatening them, or bullying them, or trying to somehow impose  
curfews… you know? If I asked people what they were doing, why they were doing it — It  
would be like imposing some kind of weird policing on them… this is a free country —  
and people have the right to act as they want-within the law."  
"But — you do help with stopping crimes and … don’t you ask questions then? At least to  
the criminals?"  
"I’m not a police officer. I’m a citizen — and I help out… but I leave police work to the  
police — I do my part… you know — stopping the crime — and then giving any  
information I might have — as a citizen and witness. Maybe people appreciate the help,  
but they won’t if the help comes with the price of less freedom."  
"God — what a fine line you have to walk — you probably get accused of being too remote  
and distant because you don’t ask questions, but if you did, you’d be worrying people."  
"Life as an alien. I — I’m here — on Earth at the … will of the people — if they decided I  
was a threat and asked me to leave, wouldn’t I just have to do that?"  
"No! It wouldn’t happen — but god — no! You have every right to be here — as much as  
anyone else. Who cares whether you were born on Earth or sent here from another world  
— you’ve been here your whole life, contributed to this society more than most people.  
It’s not fair that you would have to leave if people asked."  
"Thanks… that really means a lot," he said, smiling in genuine pleasure at her heated  
defense of him. "So — uh… since it’s okay to ask… where were you going?"  
"Your place."  
"My what?"  
"Your apartment. I was going to your apartment."  
"Why? Not — not that you aren’t always welcome — but — why? Did something happen at  
your place?"  
She attempted to sound breezy and off-hand. "Nothing really… but last night and then  
again, tonight, someone called me a few times and then hung up… it wasn’t the kind of  
hang-up you associate with a wrong number — but rather, the kind meant to scare a  
person… you know, a long pause, and then a hang-up. I mean — it could be nothing…  
but…"  
"It sounds really nerve-wracking."  
"I didn’t tell you — because — well… at first, I hoped that I was just overreacting… that it  
really was a one-time thing. The fact that it happened again… makes me think it might be  
a big deal. So… I was… can I… borrow your couch for the night?" She felt suddenly shy  
and awkward asking the question.  
"Absolutely."  
"So it’s not — a problem? Doesn’t feel like an invasion of space to you? You aren’t  
thinking — god, we just started this relationship and now she’s always around?"  
"Not at all. Lois — first of all — I like being around you. So — spending more time with  
you — that’s always a good thing… but — also — you can always count on me, you  
know… this is not at all a big deal or an imposition — or — any of the other things you  
might be worrying about. Okay? I really would tell you if it were."  
"But — you could always just take me to my parents’ house, or I could ask the Whites — I  
don’t have to come over. "  
"Yes — you could. Is that what you want?"  
"No. I really want to come over."  
"Then that’s — "  
"But — I don’t want to be this person you always have to baby-sit -"  
"You aren’t. This isn’t that. Really. It’s okay."  
"Thank you."  
"How about I move your car over into a parking space — just along there — and I can  
come back and get it after you’re settled for the night."  
"Thanks, Clark. You think of everything."  
He looked at the car for a few moments and then turned back to her.  
"Maybe you could just … not watch me."  
"What?"  
"I don’t want to upset you… using my… strength this way."  
"Clark. I’m not looking the other way," she said firmly. "So you’ll just have to deal with it."  
He grinned at the tone of her voice.  
"Okay!"  
Still feeling immensely self-conscious, he moved her car over to the parking spot that he  
had indicated. Moments later he was back at her side.  
Her heart had seemingly skipped a few times as she watched him in ‘Superman’ mode. It  
was scary to see how effortlessly he was able to lift up her car like that — it was a harsh  
reminder of what he could do if he so desired… but it was also heart-warming that he  
was willing to do that for her. Moving her car seemed like a task far too mundane for this  
ultra-famous superhero.  
"Thanks, Clark…"  
He smiled self-consciously. "Really, it was no problem."  
"Good! So… so… your place." She looked at him, and she felt suddenly nervous. "Uh —  
so… flying. Right?"  
"Is that okay with you?" His voice was very gentle.  
"It… yeah. It’s okay."  
"No — awful- flying experiences?" His expression was worried as he awaited her answer.  
"Oh — you mean — over… over there… uh… no. No — nobody ever flew with me…"  
She winced, remembering some rumors she had heard of humans being dropped just for  
kicks. Recollecting herself back into the present, she was startled by the compassion in  
his eyes. She gave him a smile that was mostly genuine.  
"I’m okay. Really. I’m fine — especially now that you’re here. Don’t you know," her smiled  
widened. "You just saved the day?"  
He smiled back. "So… is now a good time?"  
She felt a very sudden tug of nerves. Fear and apprehension and even anticipation — all  
warred together, churning her stomach and making her dizzy. She closed her eyes against  
the feeling, trying to get it under control.  
"So… how do we do this?" Her voice was suddenly a whisper.  
"Well … if I put my arm around your waist, I can just lift off like that. I know that might be  
too close for comfort, Lois — and I’m sorry. Are you sure you don’t want to take a cab?"  
"No. I don’t — let’s do this — this can be done. It’s doable. Come on. I’m ready," she said,  
suddenly feeling anything but ready. The sensation she was feeling was not unlike the  
sensation she had felt when learning to skydive. It was like that moment just before  
making that jump. Terrifying — her heart in her mouth, frightened, but also eager to  
know what it would be like.  
<<What if he feels like Lord Kal-El? What if his arm around me feels like his. What if his  
body against mine feels like his? How can I hold it together — and if I do have a bad  
flashback… or a panic attack… how can I get through it? >>  
He sensed her fear, but didn’t want to upset her by calling attention to it.  
"Just let me know if you feel overwhelmed. Okay?"  
She nodded. "Overwhelmed. Sure. Uh… feeling overwhelmed right now… but…" She  
closed her eyes again, feeling the waves of panic hitting her, and not wanting him to see  
it in her eyes. "Okay… I’m ready!"  
Her eyes were closed, and she tensely waited for him to put an arm around her. It was  
almost harder like this because she felt her fear increasing at the simple fact that she had  
cut off a  
major sensory input. But she really didn’t want him to read her nervousness in her eyes.  
She forced herself not to jump when she felt his arm come gently around her. The contact  
did shock her and she felt as if she had been burned. The expectation of what it would  
feel like had whipped her up into such a state of nervous anticipation that she was  
amazed that so far she wasn’t having any bad flashbacks.  
She forced herself to calm down, trying to take in each sensation at a time. She could feel  
the side of her body in contact with his. As panic began to tighten in her gut, she mentally  
willed herself not to start remembering times when she had last been so close to a body  
very much like this one. He’s helping me. Not hurting me. He doesn’t deserve this from  
me.  
"Are you okay?"  
"Yes."  
<<What was that I said about being honest?>>  
"I’m going to lift-off — is that okay? Are you okay with that?"  
"Yes. I’m — I’m okay."  
As soon as she said those words he lifted off, the motion causing him to tighten his hold  
a bit, bringing her closer to his body. The increase in contact and the tightening of his  
hold immediately brought about a feeling of being trapped. Of being menaced. She tried  
to will herself to relax to not have any bad memories or flashbacks, but they seemed to  
push at the edges of her consciousness.  
He had felt the sudden change in her — she had been very tense and slightly shaky when  
he had first held her , but now, it was even more pronounced. He wanted to ask her if she  
was okay but it sounded stupid and superfluous. Also, he didn’t want to cause her more  
distress by the sound of his voice or even make her feel like she needed to lie to keep him  
flying. Repeated stops and starts wouldn’t really help her out … they would just prolong  
the journey, and along with it, her fear.  
<<I’ll stop if she asks — but otherwise… might as well just keep going.>>  
She felt an almost absurd need to laugh at her own fear.  
<<God. We’re flying, and I — I’m acting like an idiot. How can I ever hope to- to … to  
ever get close to him — if I can’t even handle this I need to just –just – enjoy this — I  
mean — I’m flying, for crying out loud. Flying. He gets to do this all the time — and wow  
— it is pretty cool. She opened her eyes and got lost in the beauty of the lights below. It’s  
like being a bird! Hang-gliding… sky-diving — it’s nothing like this! I’ve dreamt of having  
wings my whole life.>>  
He landed, and she realized that they were on his balcony. He let go of her as soon as she  
was balanced on her feet, and stepped away from her, trying to give her the space he was  
sure she would need.  
"Wow," she gasped. "Wow. So that’s flying. Wow!"  
He smiled at her enthusiasm. "I know. I love to fly. It was the one power that made being  
so different worth while."  
He opened the door and stood aside. "Please, come on in," he said, trying to sound casual  
and reassuring.  
"Thanks," she said, suddenly very much aware that she was here, at his apartment — with  
the intent of spending the night. Platonic as it may be, she still felt very awkward about  
the whole idea.  
After she came in, she looked up over at him and was startled to see him as Clark.  
"God. If I could change that fast… wow…"  
"I have the added incentive of hating being dressed like that…"  
"You said that once — and — I guess I understand. Why continue it, if you hate it?"  
"Because — oddly enough, it helps me lead that normal life I crave. It really sets that part  
of my life away from this part of my life –the human part. People treat me differently —  
they actually mostly treat me like a normal person when I look like this — and I think it’s  
because I’ve separated these two worlds I live in by making ‘Superman’ so utterly  
conspicuous."  
"So you hide in plain view — by dressing in such a way that you attract attention, you  
actually end up being better able to just blend into the crowd as Clark. Wow. It actually  
makes a strange kind of sense, and clearly, it does work." She yawned widely. "Oh. God.  
Sorry about that."  
"Hey — you’re tired. It’s the middle of the night, and … late night yesterday too. Let me  
get you the things you’ll need, and I’ll see you in the morning." He forced himself to  
sound casual and matter-of-fact. He didn’t want her to feel an ounce of concern that he  
had misunderstood her request to spend the night. He really wanted to offer her the more  
comfortable sleeping environment — the bed… but he knew that in this case, the couch  
really was what she wanted. She would feel bad about pushing him out of his space, and  
then there was just the very intimate association of sleeping in his bed. He desperately  
didn’t want her having nightmares.  
"Thanks," she said, suddenly shy again. "I really appreciate it."  
After he had gotten her the bedding she needed and laid it out on the couch for her, he  
looked over at her.  
"I’m glad you … you felt like you could come here. If you need anything — don’t hesitate  
— okay? "  
"Thanks — thank you so much. I — I feel — really…safe here."  
He looked at her, struck suddenly with a realization. "You do? You feel safe? I know that…  
when you were here — after I lost my memory… I’ll never be able to apologize enough for  
that …"  
"No. You don’t need to — you really don’t. And — yes, I really do feel safe here. I just… I  
just do. So thanks. I’ll probably get a better night’s sleep than I’ve had in a long time."  
"Okay! Well… pleasant dreams, then." He turned to go.  
"Wait! Clark." He stopped and looked at her inquiringly. She walked over, moving into his  
space, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She drew back and looked at him, a self-  
mocking smile playing on her lips. "Uh… good night."  
He smiled back at her, but didn’t make a move to repeat the contact. "Good night, Lois.  
Pleasant dreams. I’m going to go move your car back to your place… I won’t be long —  
but I’ll be really quiet so I don’t wake you."  
He left and she felt bereft at the lack of his presence. She looked over at her makeshift  
bed and weariness overtook her.  
<<So tired. I am so tired.>>  
Heeding her driving need for sleep, she curled up under the covers he had provided and  
fell asleep instantly.  
She was driven from deep sleep unwillingly by the sensation of someone shaking her  
awake. Consciousness evaded her, and she tried to shut the sensation out. She heard a  
voice – not loud but definitely insistent… and elusively familiar. She tried to block it out.  
<<Just a few more minutes. Please. Just a few more minutes. >>  
The voice got a little louder and a little more insistent, and in a shock of horrified  
recollection, she remembered where she’d heard that voice before.  
Gasping awake, fighting off the layers of sleep, she sat up jerkily, not even noting how the  
man withdrew from her startled by the abruptness of her motion. She saw him there,  
standing in front of her, and she knew he was angry, knew that he was displeased.  
<<He told me to wake up, and I didn’t. He’s going to be angry – and when he’s angry…  
dear god – don’t let him be angry>>  
Even though her intellectual mind knew that begging for forgiveness would yield her  
nothing, she started, in a panicked and frantic voice, to appeal to him – to beg for him to  
forgive her momentary lapse of … whatever. The words spilled out, hasty and frantic, and  
in her state of panic and not-yet-fully-awake confusion, she didn’t notice that the man  
standing in front of her was looking at her in dawning horror.  
He had debated long and hard about whether or not to wake her up. He was afraid to  
touch her while she was asleep, afraid of triggering a panic attack. At the same time, he  
knew that she would be upset with herself if she overslept, and if she knew that he had let  
his own fear of upsetting her stop him from waking her up, he could lose her. Maybe he  
wouldn’t lose her today, but if she felt he was handling her with kid gloves, she would  
eventually feel resentful and stifled in their relationship. Above all else, he knew that Lois  
would want to be treated like the very competent equal partner that she was.  
It had been hard – she hadn’t wanted to wake up. He knew that the last few nights had  
been low on sleep for her, and that she was probably in desperate need of another four or  
five hours – but he also knew that being late for their kind of job without a really good  
excuse was a direct path to doing cute little human interest stories. Lois would give up  
food and sleep before she would want that to happen to her career. He knew that. So he  
shook a little harder, and put a little louder/firmer edge to his voice, imploring her to  
wake up.  
Her reaction had thrown him for a loop despite his mental preparations. She had been so  
sudden in her transition from completely asleep to … whatever this was. What threw him  
the most was that she seemed to be pleading with him… in Kryptonian. Like a ton of  
bricks it hit him. He realized with a horrible flash of insight that she had been woken up  
before, countless of times, out of a deep and comfortless sleep. By him. By Lord Kal-El.  
<<I should have known that … he would have done that. I should have known. I should  
have thought this through. What was I thinking? Was I even thinking at all?>>  
She suddenly came fully aware. It was as if her conscious mind had suddenly woken up  
and realized that her body had beat it to the punch. As soon as awareness took hold of  
her, she stopped the outflow of words. Silence now filled the room painfully.  
She felt each second drag by, as if it were a minute, and knew that she had to say  
something. Anything – to break this really awful moment into two, and let something  
more pleasant trickle in. But what do you say to a man that you’ve driven into such a state  
of dismay? Had he even understood her words? What had she been saying? In the cold  
light of consciousness, she couldn’t even remember.  
"Clark?" Her voice was much smaller than she had intended. Mentally she cursed herself  
for that weakness. "It’s okay," she added, this time, her voice came out as she desired.  
Strong, and in control. Soothing even. "I’m okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to react like  
that."  
His brow was wrinkled with worry, and his eyes were broadcasting all kinds of distressful  
feelings. Shock, horror, sadness, guilt – it was all there, in his brown gaze, and she was  
driven to offer forth more comfort. She shook her legs loose from the coverings, and  
stood up, very carefully and slowly. She walked over to him, noting that he was now  
watching her with wary caution and she very gently put her hand on his arm.  
"You okay?" Her voice was soft and solicitous. These words had an effect. He heard them,  
and the horror in his gaze made way for disbelief. Incredulity.  
"You’re asking me… if I’m okay?" He said these words in a disbelieving tone. "I mean.. my  
god… you’re asking me…"  
"Oh, come on," she said in a light tone that completely belied the feelings that she was  
experiencing on the inside. "Can’t the shoe be on the other foot from time to time?"  
"Lois," he breathed, unable to follow her into a place of lighter banter. He squeezed his  
eyes shut and shook his head as if trying to shake the last ten minutes from his mind.  
He stepped back away from her. Her nearness was too much for his shattered senses right  
now. He didn’t know what to do or say and was absolutely terrified that he would  
somehow say something that would be as wrong a thing to say as possible. Words  
tumbled in his brain and he clamped them tight.  
<<He did that to you? He came to you like that? He woke you like that? To force himself  
on you. He did that … and you couldn’t stop him. >>  
He stepped further away and felt the couch against the back of his legs. Defeated, he just  
dropped down, holding his head in his hands, with his eyes still shut, trying desperately  
to erase the images from his mind.  
<<Don’t think about it. Don’t. Don’t visualize it. >>  
She watched him, confused. What had her reaction done to him? What was he thinking,  
what was he imagining? She moved closer to the where he sat, and then, decision made,  
she dropped down on the couch next to him, her body nearly touching his. She reached  
out a hand and put it on his arm again. She could feel the tension in his body — he was  
stiff and unyielding.  
"Clark. Please. Talk to me," she implored. "Please."  
The sound of her soft pleading brought him to his senses somewhat.  
<<She’s pleading. She should never have to plead.>>  
He lifted his head, and looked at her, still wearing a tortured expression.  
She looked at him directly, and he could see the tears still on her face. She had been  
crying during her panic attack.  
<<No. Not a panic attack. She had been having a flashback. There’s a difference. >>  
"Lois," he said, trying out her name out loud.  
"I’m sorry," she said again. "I didn’t mean to upset you like that." Her voice was careful  
and even as if she was trying very hard not to agitate him further.  
That broke his heart even further. He didn’t want her to ever have to modulate her  
response around him, to worry about how he might react or take something.  
He shook his head, still not having the right words, still not able to tell her what he was  
feeling. He didn’t want to hurt her by his own thoughts.  
"You don’t owe me an apology," he said hastily. "You didn’t do anything — there’s nothing  
to apologize for."  
His voice was frantic and urgent, as if afraid that she might not believe him. She had to  
know that he wasn’t upset with her. She had to know that he wasn’t someone that she  
needed to worry about.  
<<You can say anything. Do anything. And it’s okay with me. Please don’t be afraid of  
how I’ll react.>>  
"What happened," she said quietly. "What… what’s wrong?"  
It seemed ludicrous to ask this question, but still — she felt like there was more going on  
here than just feeling guilty about triggering her reaction.  
He shook his head. "Lois — I — I … I don’t want you to be late for work."  
He grabbed onto that like a lifeline. She had to go to work. She had limited time in which  
to get ready and get there. She wouldn’t want to talk about this now once she realized  
that.  
"I… I’ll go in late. It’s okay… I want to –"  
"No! You can’t! You can’t… you — you have to go in! You can’t be late… you," he trailed  
off as he heard himself giving her what might sound like a directive. An imperative. A  
command.  
"It’ll be okay," she urged him on, clearly not taking his words as commands.  
"I don’t want to be responsible for you losing your job — or losing respect at your job," he  
said miserably. "I’m sorry. But … I know your reputation and career mean a lot to you…  
and I don’t want to be the cause of that all falling apart for you."  
"You don’t want to talk about it, either." She said shrewdly. "Although I believe what you  
just said about my job… you really don’t want to talk about this."  
Her voice held bitterness and resignation.  
<<He won’t be able to handle this. This won’t work.>>  
"No — I do… but — it’s… it’s hard. I… it’s too… much. And… it’s …"  
<<He can’t bear to be with me.>>  
Swallowing the huge lump growing in her throat, she had to ask the horrible questions.  
"Do you want to… forget about… us? I mean — I know… I guess… I should have realized  
that… it was hard for you. To be… at the receiving end of all this… baggage. To have me  
react to you sometimes as if you were him. To a man like you — that has to be torture.  
And… I don’t blame you if you — "  
Clark stood up sharply. To his great relief she didn’t back away as he advanced agitatedly  
towards her. When he reached her, he stopped. He resisted fiercely the urge to put his  
arms around her.  
"I don’t want to forget about us — my god — I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I could never  
forget about you or give up a chance of being with you — I… I — I just… I just… I’m sorry.  
I lost it – there… I … freaked out on you, I guess — and… all I can say is that I’m sorry —  
and I’ll try really hard not to let it happen again."  
"Clark — I’m not angry at you — I’m not — I’m just trying to give you a way out of this —  
if that’s what you want. You don’t owe me anything. You didn’t do this to me — you are  
not to blame for what happened to me — you don’t owe it to me to help me heal!"  
Her voice was intense and resolute as she tried to let him understand that he had no  
obligations to fulfill as far as she was concerned.  
"Lois? Did you actually — even for a moment — think that I was in your life like this  
because… I felt it was somehow my duty? To undo what he did?"  
"Most of the time… no. But sometimes — when my insecurities get the better of me…"  
"I’m with you," he said as sincerely as he could, never breaking his gaze, "because I want  
to be. Because being with you is the only thing I want. Because being without you is  
unbearable now. Lois — I don’t ever want to end what we have. I would — if you wanted  
to — of course… but … I would never want things to end on my own. Do you believe me?"  
His words were so stark and honest that she was tempted by habit to break the gaze that  
they were sharing. She forced herself to respond without any show of discomfort.  
"I … believe you," she said.  
He let out a relieved breath, making her realize just how worried he was about the fate of  
their relationship. She took a deep breath and resolved to lighten the atmosphere a bit.  
There was only so much intensity you could take at this hour of the morning.  
"And… I’m going to go to work — how about I get in the shower… and… you…" she said,  
slowly, teasingly, looking at him with some mischief in her eyes.  
"Yeah…?"  
He couldn’t help but smile back at her change in attitude. He knew she was deliberately  
being playful and he was happy that she felt comfortable enough to tease like that even if  
he was also well aware that she was deliberately trying to make things more relaxed  
between them.  
"Make some coffee," she finished. "After all, you do it so well, it would be a shame to  
waste your talents."  
<<Your wish is my command.>>  
He bit back those words as soon as they came into his head.  
<<Don’t say anything so overtly stupid.>>  
"Coffee, it is. Is that all? Breakfast? I can –"  
"No — I know you can make it fast — I can’t eat that fast. I’ll grab something at the office.  
But coffee will keep me alive until then. I… I… maybe a ride to the office too?"  
"You want me to –"  
"Discreetly, of course — you can drop me off a few blocks away — whatever — because I  
know that… if we were seen flying together…"  
"Yeah. I hear you. Discreet." His voice held an edge.  
"I’m not — Clark… I’m not… ashamed or afraid of people knowing about us… the only…  
discomfort I feel in that area is all the attention — you know…"  
"I do, I do." He sounded happier. "I’m sorry. Lana was always so … she felt that …"  
"I know. I think she regrets that — hurting you like that — if it’s any consolation."  
"I know she does. It’s okay. I understand — having your life a constant media circus is a  
pain in the neck."  
"Add thoughtlessness to the list of wonderful qualities I’ve shown you today." Her voice  
was remorseful. "Of course you know what that’s like. I’m sorry — I’m being pretty selfish  
— and … rude."  
"You aren’t. I know. It’s okay. I agree — let’s just keep this between us until we’re more  
comfortable with it all," he said easily.  
She nodded, a little unsure of how she felt by his response. Gathering up her bag, she  
went into the bathroom and closed the door, preparing to shower.  
As she stood under the hot water, she started thinking about their conversation on  
discretion. Part of her felt a strong desire to have him plead the opposing case — to tell  
the world that they were dating, to throw discretion out the window. His agreement that it  
was a good idea made her feel somewhat diminished and deflated, but then, she couldn’t  
argue with her own sound reasons.  
Furthermore, what if it didn’t work out between them? She would always be the woman  
that Superman dumped. Even if she broke it off. Not that she would — she couldn’t  
imagine it being any other way than his dumping her — getting fed up finally with the  
sham of a woman that she really was. But if — or … when… she couldn’t bear to be the  
recipient of all the pity, scorn, or even loathing that people would feel towards her.  
Her shower was over, and she stepped out and dried off. Throwing her clothes on, she  
took a few short moments to complete the rest of her morning routine, and then she  
came out into the kitchen feeling a little shy and awkward again.  
<<I hope he thinks I look pretty.>>  
He looked up as she came out and smiled at her.  
<<She always looks so beautiful. How can anyone who works with her get anything done?  
>>  
"I am really impressed," he said, teasing her gently. "You got ready really quickly."  
"Not all women take a long time," she gently teased back. "But don’t get too used to this. I  
reserve the right to be as slow as I want under other circumstances." As soon as she said  
this, she flushed red, realizing that her words could be taken to mean something  
completely different.  
"Okay," he said, refusing to take the bait, especially as he realized that the bait had been  
held out unwittingly. "Thanks for the warning. But now you at least have some time to  
drink your coffee without…"  
<<Burning yourself. Oh god. I was really going to say that. >>  
"Thanks for making it," she said quietly, rescuing him from his awkward pause.  
"Anytime," he said. It seemed a big leap to him that she actually had asked him to do  
something for her — had done so without worrying about the inconvenience. He really  
hoped that they would one day reach that point of independent co-dependence that  
happy couples seemed to share.  
He waited until she told him it was time to go and then he spun into his traveling clothes.  
"Not very discreet," he said, feeling suddenly awkward. He was worried about scaring her  
like this — of looking too Kryptonian.  
Her manner had changed slightly when he had done his changing act. The ease had  
slipped somewhat from her stance, and he felt that she was also feeling the same  
awkwardness that had seized him.  
"Are… you okay?" He hadn’t really meant to ask her the question — to give actual words  
to the feeling between them, because he felt like she might be embarrassed by her own  
perceived weakness — her fear of being around him like this.  
"Yes. Yes — I’m okay. I -… sorry…."  
He shook his head. "No need."  
"I know. But I still am."  
"Still want the lift? I mean — a cab might still get you there in good time."  
She smiled at him slowly, and he felt his heart skip a few beats. "Trying to get out of it?"  
"Yeah … nothing doing, right?"  
"Yup — you aren’t backing out on me now. I had no idea you were so lazy!"  
"Okay. Okay — I’ll get you there and then I can come back here and be lazy," he joked.  
"Are you ready?"  
She smiled tightly. "Yeah," she said, her voice revealing some of her nervousness.  
He walked over to where she was standing and reached out his hand to hold hers. She  
moved her hand into his, her eyes connecting with his all the time. He saw the mix of  
feelings in her gaze. He could feel that she was afraid, afraid that the contact would be  
disturbing to her, afraid that she would have a bad flashback — but also he saw the  
warmth, the friendship — and that something else that was defining their relationship as  
more than just friends. He gave her hand a very gentle reassuring squeeze and he walked  
with her towards the balcony door.  
For her part, she appreciated that he had done that — walked with her – hand in hand. It  
made the closer intimacy of flying together easier to contemplate. She smiled as she  
realized just how hard he was trying to put her at ease. He was an unselfish and caring  
person. And he was hers. That was the biggest miracle of all.  
"Okay. Ready?"  
"Ready…"  
<<Why does my voice have to sound all breathless like that? I sound like a teenage  
girl.>>  
He let go of her hand and slipped his arm around her waist — he did this quickly so that  
she wouldn’t have time to build up any anticipatory fear in her mind. Tightening his hold,  
he lifted off from the ground.  
The sensation of Clark’s arm around her waist had been not terrifying – at least not until  
he tightened his hold. Had he left his arm lightly around her waist, she might have been  
able to move past some of the worrisome sensations it evoked and tried to revel in the  
other feelings that it would also likely produce. Good feelings. Warm feelings. But he  
couldn’t just hold her lightly as they flew – part of the mechanics of the process dictated  
that he tighten his hold. She knew that – knew that he couldn’t hold her loosely and risk  
her falling.  
So why wasn’t she able to tell her body that. She felt that panic and bad memories had  
gripped her, and she was unable to relax against him. Desperately she begged her body  
not to reflect her inner feelings. She didn’t want him to know that she was afraid,  
especially after what had happened between them this morning. The problem was that  
although it was Clark Kent’s arm around her, and he wasn’t doing anything even remotely  
threatening or menacing, she kept having flashes of that other place. Lord Kal- El  
grasping her arm roughly, slamming her against a wall, or pulling her in so that the space  
between them decreased and she was trapped against his body. She remembered that  
awful helpless feeling – the sense of impending doom … knowing that he was going to do  
her harm. She felt like she could feel his lips on hers, she could taste her own blood –  
bitter and metallic, and she remembered the horrible and explosive pain of his body  
driving into hers. She remembered the sound of his voice – so much like Clark’s and yet  
so very different.  
She squeezed her eyes shut against the memories, and then very hesitantly opened them  
up, tilting her head up a bit to see his face. She felt fortunate that at this moment he  
wasn’t looking at her – he was looking down, scouting for a good place to land. She was  
able to observe him without being observed. She looked at his face, and once again  
marveled at how he could look so much like Kal-El and so little like Kal-El at the same  
time.  
If she were in a room with the both of them, identically dressed, would she be able to tell  
them apart if they didn’t say anything? She was sure she could – Lord Kal-El wore his  
cruelty like a cloak. Everything about him – the way he looked at her, the way he spoke,  
and even the way he moved – all these things had been done with deliberate intent. Intent  
to dominate, to show power and possession. There would be no mistaking who was who,  
if she were ever in a room with them both. But thankfully, that would never happen. She  
shuddered involuntarily at the thought, right as they went in for a landing.  
He landed them in a very desolate alley and quickly switched over into his street clothes.  
Still aware of her too-fast beating heart, her increased respiration, and the very panicked  
look in her eyes, he looked at her anxiously, trying to gauge if she was okay.  
"I’m sorry," she laughed feeling stupid. "I know that we did that already — and I feel really  
idiotic making such a fuss…"  
"It’s not stupid at all," he assured her with a smile. "Flying is very up close and personal.  
Of course that would bother you."  
She looked around and winced. "It’s kind of … creepy here…"  
"I know. But it works for the whole discretion thing. I thought I’d just fly overhead until  
you got safely to your office — so you won’t be alone — I won’t leave until you’re inside  
the building. Is that okay? If you want door-to-door, I can do so… willingly — but –"  
"No. Thank you. This is the right thing to do. I’m sorry for seeming to criticize you…"  
"You didn’t. It is isolated, and it’s disturbing. I know that… dark creepy alleys bug me  
too."  
She smiled. "Thanks for being my bodyguard."  
"No problem." He looked around, making sure it really was safe to leave her, and then he  
looked back at her. "I’ll see you tonight? Right? Are we still on — or… do you need some  
space…"  
"No! No — space… I want to… get together tonight. I really do… I mean — after all —  
you’ve got that thing on Friday — and tomorrow night I’m seeing my family — so this will  
be my only chance to see you for a few days. You don’t need space… do you?"  
He smiled. "Not at all. I’m glad you feel that way. I – I’ll get your car filled for you if you  
like."  
"Thank you so much. You can come to the office and give me these back," she said as she  
handed him her keys.  
He looked at her intently. "Do… do you want me to do that? Come visit you?"  
She smiled shyly. "Yes… yes, I think I do — but only if it’s convenient. If you are too busy  
–"  
"I’ll come," he said, with a smile. "If I can’t — I’ll call you — but I doubt I won’t have a free  
moment. That rarely ever happens."  
"Okay," she smiled back.  
"Before we attract any attention," he said, "I’d better go."  
"Right. Thanks again."  
He smiled at her, and then he took off, hovering high up in the sky, watching her make  
her way to work. There was no way he was going to leave her to handle any emergencies  
until he was sure she was all right.  
After he saw her enter the building, he used his x-ray vision to ascertain that she made it  
safely to her desk. Then he turned and flew off, intending to get her car taken care of. He  
figured he’d wait a few hours or so before coming to see her with her keys, not wanting to  
seem overly eager to see her again. He wasn’t trying to play any mind games with her, but  
he didn’t want to overwhelm her either.  
Later that day, he walked in through the doors of the newsroom feeling a strong stab of  
nervousness. He wished for the zillionth time that his attempt at a secret identity had  
been successful. He was very awkward with his celebrity status.  
He braced himself for the onslaught, and just as he had expected, as he walked in, he was  
immediately descended upon by large numbers of his former coworkers.  
"Clark! Hey – good to see you man!"  
"Clark, long time no see – are you coming back to us?"  
"Hey – Clark – nice job with that asteroid! Did you bring any asteroid rocks back home?"  
"Hi, Clark," drawled Cat, give him a deliberately provocative smile.  
He smiled at his friends, glad to see them, but also, perversely, wishing that he could  
have come in and not attracted so much attention. At least they were calling him ‘Clark’  
and not ‘Superman’ — he had to be grateful for small favors.  
Lois had been working busily at her computer, but she had immediately switched out of  
work mode the minute she felt his presence. And she had felt his presence. Even before  
the first ‘Clark’ rang out in greeting, she knew he was there. Her gaze zeroed in on him  
and refused to waver.  
He was engaging in social banter with people who had been friends and colleagues, and  
who were now admirers as well, of this strange alien who gave so much of his time and  
life to helping their planet. After his rescue of the planet earth from the deadly asteroid,  
his popularity was at an all time high.  
<<Glad to see my articles didn’t have any lasting damage. >>  
Lois was happy that Clark was so well-loved, but it contrarily made her feel a little out of  
sorts. Maybe because she herself always felt that she had to try so hard. She had many  
attributes that people would automatically associate with popularity… she was intelligent,  
she was dynamic, she was beautiful and she was athletic. But… she was also very  
neurotic, and as a result, had grown a caustic personality as a defense mechanism which  
tended not to draw a lot of people to her side. She was admired, but it was usually from  
afar and many of her admirers would have been highly unwilling to admit that they held  
her in high esteem.  
Cat Grant was one such person. Lois was her hero in many ways…a mentor of sorts. Lois  
had broken through many a glass ceiling in the world of high-powered journalism – not  
via her sexual appeal, although that definitely helped her open doors… but rather,  
because she was tough as nails and never took no for an answer. While her beauty made it  
less likely that people would turn from disgust at her aggressive behavior, it was her  
talent and determination that made her the reporter she was.  
Cat would never admit any of this to Lois – because she was also afraid of her. She knew  
that Lois held her in contempt, and it would be a huge blow to her own ego to have  
someone who felt that way about her know that she longed for their acceptance. So  
instead, she had frequently soothed her hurt feelings by poking little needles into Lois’s  
carefully preserved defense system. Lately, the fun in that had waned… since coming back  
from god knows where, Lois wasn’t exactly the same person. The skill and the drive were  
still there… but there was something almost…broken… about her… and poking sticks at  
her felt more like an act of cruelty than anything else.  
At this current moment, Cat’s eyes were on Lois. She saw how Lois had turned into a  
statue the moment Clark walked in the room. She had seen Lois’s reaction around Clark –  
as Clark, and as Superman – she had seen her freeze up on many occasions – only then, it  
had been obviously a fearful reaction. Now, it was very different. Lois was staring at Clark  
like that because she had no choice. It was obvious to Cat that at this moment in time  
nobody else in the room existed for her but him. This wasn’t fear. So what was it? Could it  
be love? How could Lois have gone from one end of the spectrum to another? She expertly  
trained her eyes on Clark to see how he would react to Lois.  
Clark looked over at Lois, aware that she was also looking at him. He was almost afraid to  
make eye contact – afraid that a huge goofy smile would overcome him and he wouldn’t  
be able to hide how he felt. He wanted them to be able to talk to each other without it  
being incredibly obvious that something was going on.  
<<Come on. Just act normal. Act casual. Come on. You can do it.>>  
"Hey, so… what brings you by," asked Ralph, one of his least favorite former coworkers.  
"Oh… actually – I wanted to talk to Lois about something."  
"What’s the deal with you two? She acted like you were the scourge of the Earth when she  
resurfaced from the dead, and now you guys are the best of friends?"  
"Yeah, I guess so," he said, refusing to give any more information.  
"So – I mean – she’s really hot… but… I mean – come on… you can have anyone you – "  
"I’ll talk to you soon, okay? I really need to talk to her, and you never know when someone  
might suddenly need me…"  
"Oh. Yeah – well – of course. Next time then –"  
"Definitely."  
Lois felt her heart stop, as his eyes connected directly with hers. He approached her desk  
with a very disturbing ease and calmness.  
<<Damn him. How dare he be so calm – I’m a total mess. Is he really calm? Or is he a  
mess inside too?>>  
She was well aware that everyone in the newsroom was now openly staring at them.  
Nobody in the newsroom had ever asked her about her articles or the impetus for them.  
Elena Lutz hadn’t even brought it up again — having made her stance clear during their  
initial interview, and Lois had not encouraged anyone else to broach the topic. So now  
they were all staring, trying to figure out the mystery behind Lois, her antipathy towards  
Clark, and their current friendship. She felt a strong urge to yell out: Take a picture! It  
lasts longer. But then… in a newsroom full of photographers — that wasn’t so much of a  
sarcastic rejoinder as it was an open invitation.  
"Hey, Lois. How are you?" He smiled at her, feeling like an idiot.  
<<Oh god. We are on display. Fishbowl city.>>  
"I’m doing well," she said, a huge grin splitting her face. Ouch. It hurts to smile this wide.  
He came in closer, grabbed a chair and pulled it in close to hers, and said in a low voice,  
only for her to hear: "I brought your keys. Your car is down on 5th, at the corner of Baker.  
Not too far."  
"Thanks," she smiled, feeling incredibly shy once again. "I — I… you… it has gas in it,  
right?"  
"Yes," he said. "Come on — I wouldn’t –"  
"I know — I know — it was a stupid question."  
"You are incapable of asking a stupid question," he said back to her, a twinkle in his eyes.  
"Just doing stupid things like forgetting to refill my gas tank," she smiled.  
"Hey — it gave me an excuse to see you this afternoon — so I’m not complaining."  
"You don’t need an excuse," she said, her eyes directly shooting into his. It felt to her like  
they were almost flirting. Which is what they were doing. Not almost. Exactly. And here, in  
front of a newsroom full of reporters, not to mention the city’s most talented gossip  
columnist.  
"I’ll keep that in mind," he said back to her, feeling the same thing she was feeling. "You…  
you do know that we’re being watched…"  
"I’d have to be blind not to know that," she laughed. "It’s really obvious. It’s a good thing  
they don’t have your hearing — or your telepathy — because then — the gig would be  
up."  
"Hardly a fate worse than death." The words slipped out before he could yank them back,  
and he sent her a silent look of apology at the possible pain his words may have given  
her.  
She looked at him with narrowing eyes.  
"Clark… don’t you want this to be a secret?"  
"I want… what you want."  
"So… if I wanted to tell people…"  
"Then… I’d still want what you want."  
"But…" she was getting frustrated by his lack of answer. "Clark — how do you feel about  
it?"  
"I have no reason to want to hide our relationship. Granted, one could say that your life  
would be in additional danger being associated with me- but I have to feel that at some  
point that — it’s just going to be obvious… at least — I hope it is –" he flushed, at looked  
down. "I keep doing that — getting myself caught up in verbal blunders."  
"You didn’t! I- I just want to know — I mean — other than my being in danger — do you  
have any objection to letting people know about us?"  
"None whatsoever." His eyes were back on his and they seemed to be reading her soul.  
She was caught off guard by the sudden intensity of his gaze and she felt a little lost. She  
felt like she was losing her grip on where she was. The effect he could have on her at  
times was very unsettling in a way that was vastly different from the unsettled feeling she  
felt when she thought of Kal-El.  
"Oh…."  
"But I don’t want you to rush into — not on my account — if you don’t want people to  
know just yet -"  
"I — I just don’t know what I want," she blurted out. "I kind of… I asked you to bring my  
keys by — because I knew… it would… you know — plant the seeds… I guess I kind of do  
want people to know."  
"But you aren’t sure," he asked perceptively.  
"Yeah," she said, with a small self-mocking chuckle. " I mean — I’m really — I want  
everyone — I want them all to know- but I don’t want the press to watch us like hawks —  
I don’t want them wondering about why we never kiss," she said, flushing at her own  
words. She looked away, embarrassed. "Lois Lane, the cold fish. I guess — I don’t want to  
hear any jokes about how you’d have to be super-human to withstand the ice in my veins  
–"  
"Do people actually say that about you?" He was horrified.  
"And this was before. Before Tempus." She laughed, but the laugh was not happy.  
"You don’t have ice in your veins, Lois," he said. "It’s obvious from how you write that you  
are a person of deep feelings. Anyone who’s failed to see that is … is — blind… I guess…"  
She smiled at him, looking at him square in the eyes again.  
"Thanks," she said. "I needed to hear that. Someday I’ll tell you about my federal disasters  
— also known as my romantic history. But — I guess I have to go to work, and if Cat does  
one more ‘fly-by’ my desk, I might have to kill her."  
"Got it," he said, trying hard not to laugh at her last statement. "Look, I’ll see you tonight,  
Okay? 7? Want to come over? I’ll make you dinner," he said in a deliberately tempting  
fashion.  
She grinned back. "Sounds great. I’ll see you there."  
He stood up with easy grace, making his movements slow enough not to startle her. He  
didn’t want her to have an unconscious physical reaction in front of all her coworkers,  
knowing full well that it would rankle at her.  
Lois watched as he left, joking and talking with friends as he did. She marveled at his  
comfort and ease. She knew that it bothered him to be treated differently by people — to  
be fawned over and treated as someone to covet, rather than just another one of the  
gang. But at the same time, he didn’t let it show — his outward appearance implied that  
he was in control, relaxed, and not bothered by any of it. She wished she could do the  
same — but it just wasn’t in her nature.  
She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and she knew she was being watched.  
She turned and saw Cat looking at her, with a small smile playing on her face.  
"Cat… what can I do for you?" she said, forcing herself to be professionally courteous.  
Cat narrowed her eyes in a way that reminded Lois of the feline she was often compared  
with, and shook her head.  
"Nothing," she said with a smile.  
"Come on, Cat… we both know that you have something to say." She gave up the pretense  
right away, almost annoyed that Cat had failed to respond as she had expected.  
"What’s the point, Lois?" Her response had been a challenge, and she saw Lois flush red.  
Score.  
"Cat…"  
"Look, Lois — never mind… I make it a point not to write about Clark unless I know  
everyone else has the same information. He’s a friend — and he’s done far too much for  
all of us for me to want to make things bad for him."  
Lois flinched. Was Cat digging her about her articles?  
"I don’t want to make things bad for him either," she said quietly. "I’ve stopped… I’m sure  
you’ve noticed."  
"Lois — I didn’t mean that. I know you wrote those things because you believed them to  
be true." Cat’s voice was sincere. She wasn’t sure why she was telling Lois these things.  
"I did. I don’t anymore. We’re friends… okay? Is that so hard to believe — that he would  
want me as a friend?"  
"No, Lois," she said. "It’s all good."  
Cat turned and walked away, and Lois had the uncomfortable feeling that Cat had gotten  
the answers she was seeking. She stared after her for a long moment, and then, still  
feeling like eyes were upon her, she forced herself to focus back on her work.  
****  
Clark had spent the entire day worrying about the evening to come. The moment was at  
hand. She had just knocked on the door, and their date was about to begin.  
<<Please let this go well. Please let her not be afraid. Please let me not do or say anything  
to upset her.>>  
He opened the door, and immediately all coherent thought flew out the window.  
<<My god. She’s gorgeous. She’s just so gorgeous. >>  
"Hi," he said quickly trying to recover his aplomb.  
"Hi," she responded, smiling shyly.  
<<Oh… He’s just devastating.>>  
He stood there for a few seconds, and then finished awkwardly. "Please… please — come  
in!"  
She smiled at him, made less uneasy by his obvious nervousness. "Thanks."  
She stepped inside and cleared the doorway so he could close it. She watched him as he  
shut the door, and once again reflected on how bizarre their current situation was. Once  
she would have done anything to avoid being in a locked room with a Kryptonian man —  
in particular … this man. Or a man who looked just like this one. But now — now… she  
courted it. She encouraged it. And even though this man was very different, it still  
sometimes felt very weird.  
I’m glad to be here. The thought floated into her mind and she realized that she really  
was happier when she was with him then when they were apart. Wistfully, she thought  
back to the previous night — it was the best night’s sleep she’d had in a while and it was  
under his roof.  
<<He makes me feel safe.>>  
She knew she wouldn’t be sleeping there tonight. It was too strange to end a date that  
way. She wanted this to be a date — not just a meeting of friends, and if she were to  
make platonic use of his couch again, it would cross that line. And there was no chance of  
her making non-platonic use of his bed… not now — not for a very long time — so that  
left her with no option of seeking safe haven here. Lucy would be her port in the storm.  
He turned back to her and she flushed a little at being caught watching him.  
"Uh… I brought you this," she said, handing the bottle of wine to him.  
"Great! Want me to open it now?"  
"Only if you share it with me."  
"Gladly. I’ll be right back."  
"Can I help?" she asked, following him to the kitchen.  
"I’m all set."  
"Okay," she said easily, watching him as he opened the bottle.  
She watched him as he opened the bottle. His movements were steady and sure and he  
got the cork out easily without breaking it apart. She was amazed at how easy it was for  
him to perform such delicate tasks. He could break an asteroid and yet he could remove a  
cork without getting any of it in the wine. Such opposite skills required for these tasks  
and he was good at both.  
He poured the glasses, and then headed back in her direction. As he approached, her  
breath caught in her throat as she had a brief flash of Kal-El heading towards her. Stop  
that. Her inner voice was firm and sure as she scolded that other part of her for daring to  
disrupt the pleasant feelings she was currently feeling.  
He saw the quick flash of something on her face, but didn’t comment or alter his course  
of action. She would let him know if she needed space. He couldn’t expect the evening to  
go by without a few hard moments, and he was just grateful that she was doing as well as  
she was.  
"Here," he said, handing her the glass.  
She smiled tentatively and took it from him, very aware of how close he now was to her.  
She felt she could almost feel his body heat, and it was both unnerving and exciting. As  
she grasped the glass, she deliberately let her hand brush against his, as if testing her  
reactions to make sure that she was under control.  
The brief contact sent pleasant feelings through her and she vowed to try to do it again  
sometime during the evening.  
<<Maybe I’ll even kiss him. >>  
As soon as she thought that, she felt her chest squeeze tightly in alarm.  
<<Oh god. Kissing. Kissing him. Him kissing me. Oh. Give me strength.>>  
"Dinner isn’t ready," he said. "More cooking time is needed. Want to sit down?"  
"Yes! Yes — sure! Sure. That sounds great!"  
"Good," he said.  
She sat down on the nearest couch and noted that he sat down on a different chair  
entirely.  
<<If this were a normal date wouldn’t he have sat next to me?>>  
"So… how was your day," she asked, trying to start a harmless conversation.  
"It was good. As you know — no catastrophes or anything. I did meet with Perry today to  
talk about Lex. But I won’t drag the evening down by talking too much about that."  
"No… not tonight — but I do want to work with you both on this. Don’t forget that."  
"I won’t. You have every reason to want to expose Luthor, and of course- you’re incredibly  
valuable to the effort."  
"Flatterer."  
"It’s all true. What about you? How was your day? Was it weird after I left?"  
"Yeah," she grinned. "Really weird. Cat kind of pseudo-drilled me, and everyone else was  
just bursting with curiosity. It felt strangely good — in an ‘I’ve got a secret’ kind of way.  
Childish I guess… but it still felt good."  
"Hey, I don’t think it’s childish at all."  
"Did you tell Perry about us?"  
"No. You… have to give me the ‘ok’ before I do that. But once you do — I’ll definitely let  
him know. He knows how I feel about you –" he stopped short, realizing he might be  
revealing too much. He looked at her with a slightly guilty expression in his eyes.  
"How you feel… you mean — you told him you were … uh…"  
<<Attracted to me? Interested in me? What? What?>>  
"He kind of guessed."  
"Oh."  
"Just by how I talked about you.. and yeah… we did … talk about you. He was trying to  
figure things out… and…"  
"It’s okay. I may have reacted angrily to Perry when I found out he knew — but I don’t feel  
that way anymore."  
"Good. I never… uh… I never wanted to make you feel like that… you know — like your  
privacy was on the line."  
"I guess I did feel that way — but now, I know you were kind of in a tough place. I mean —  
I’m sure Perry was very much like a pit-bull. God — they call me a mad-dog, but Perry  
really earns that title."  
"He was relentless," Clark laughed, and then immediately regretted his choice of words.  
"That is… I … I mean… I know that…"  
"It’s okay. Clark. Really."  
She realized he was remembering the other night when she got all upset at his use of the  
word ‘Bully’, angry that he would even feel that way when he couldn’t even really ever  
imagine.  
"Clark… I was a little tense that day. I know that Perry is impossible to hide secrets from.  
Believe me, I’ve tried. It’s just not possible."  
"I wonder if his kids ever got away with it."  
She smiled. "I doubt it. But I’m guessing he let them think that they did… for the sakes of  
their egos."  
"My parents were pretty insightful," he said. "They always knew if I was trying to pull the  
wool over their eyes, but they never made it out to be something bad. It’s like they knew  
that kids need to feel some amount of success at things like that."  
"They sound terrific."  
"They were. They really were."  
The timer went off, interrupting their conversation.  
"I have to go to the kitchen for a few minute… here’s the remote if you want to turn on  
the TV or anything."  
"Can I help?"  
"Nope! I’m all set."  
"Okay," she smiled.  
She picked up the remote, and aimed it at the TV, intending to check out the news.  
"Ugh. Luthor," she muttered to herself as she saw the object of her disgust being  
interviewed on television. Lex Luthor had recently donated a large sum of money towards  
the development of programs for underprivileged children, and he was now being  
awarded some kind of good-citizen award. "Smarmy jerk," she muttered again as she saw  
him go through his smooth and oily fake nice-guy routine. How could she have never  
seen through his act before? She was so busy trying to find the bad-guy in Clark, that she  
failed to see that the real bad-guy was right in front of her.  
"He’s a real piece of work, isn’t he?" Clark had come back into the room.  
They both were silent for a few moments as they listened to Lex give his speech of  
acceptance.  
And then, Clark laughed in sheer mockery and disbelief at how badly Lex was laying it on.  
The sound of it unnerved her. She remembered all too well the sound of Lord Kal-El’s  
mocking laugh that first time she had tried to escape. She had believed herself to be close  
to freedom, and it was the sound of his laugh that had cued her in to his presence. She  
remembered the sick and horrified feeling that single sound evoked, and when she heard  
Clark laugh, it sounded all too familiar.  
Dread trickled in and made itself at home in her mind, and she felt a heavy cloak of  
uncertainty descend upon her. Don’t make him angry. She started regulating her  
breathing in long slow inhalations and exhalations, trying hard to block out the fear. The  
images. The memories.  
She felt herself shaking uncontrollably, but she was too paralyzed by dread to move. Part  
of her was trapped in the past, and the other part was here in the present. She had  
conflicting fears — fears of what Lord Kal-El would do next… and fears of causing Clark  
pain with a flashback.  
"Lois?" His voice penetrated dimly through the shield of dread around her. Very nervously,  
unwillingly, hesitantly, she looked up at him. It was a painstaking and slow motion, and  
when she did, her eyes clearly broadcasted what was currently on her mind. Fear. Fear of  
him.  
"Lois?" His voice was very gentle this time as it became clear that something had triggered  
her memories. Bewildered he looked at the TV. Was it seeing Luthor? "What can I do for  
you?" His voice was even and calm as he tried to figure out ways to help.  
"I…" She was unable to get past that single utterance.  
He longed to say something, but forced himself to remain silent. Let her find her way out  
of this. You will only get in her way if you try to help.  
"I… you aren’t him…" it was part question, and part assertion. "You aren’t him?"  
He shook his head, his eyes reassuring. "No. I’m not him. Did I just do something that  
made you think of him?" His question wasn’t borne from self-loathing or remorse, but  
just a calm space in which he was trying to make sense of the current situation.  
"I… I… I –"  
"Okay. Take your time," he said gently. "Do you want to sit down? Should I leave the  
apartment? Leave the room? Turn off the TV?"  
She shook her head tightly. She looked up at him and tried desperately to dispel the  
superimposition of his dark doppelganger over him. She was unable to do so — standing  
there in front of her was Lord Kal-El. I want Clark back. She started to cry and the sight  
raged against his senses. More than anything, he wanted to hold her and offer up the  
physical comfort of a hug, but he knew that she would not see that as anything remotely  
resembling comfort, so he stood his ground.  
"I… I — it’s… you… you… laughed. It… sounded… like him. I — I’m sorry. That’s  
horrible," she said, her voice strained with the wealth of hurt she was feeling emotionally.  
"I’m sorry. You sounded like him," she repeated, in a horrified whisper. "What kind of a  
thing to say to a man like you… you sounded like a monster."  
"It’s okay," he said softly.  
"I… you sounded … there was this time," she said, not looking at him, still in tears, but  
able to speak. "I… I tried to escape."  
Clark froze as he realized that for the first time, she was going to actually share with him  
some of what had happened. He felt a sick a surge of apprehension uncoiling in his  
stomach.  
"I tried to escape…" she shook her head. "How naïve is that? I mean — I tried to escape. I  
thought I could escape. I thought I could… hide from super-powered beings… I can’t  
believe I even thought I could succeed." She shook her head in utter disbelief. Her voice  
was bitter now, as she recollected. She looked at him briefly. "You could find anyone on  
this Earth — anyone who was alive. Imagine how impossible it would be for someone to  
hide from you."  
He didn’t respond, not sure how he could. Suddenly he felt an overwhelming need to look  
away from the expression in her eyes. But he didn’t. She didn’t need him to run away from  
this.  
She shook her head again in distracted disbelief. "I thought I had made it to the shuttle  
area. I… I — it had taken me hours. I was badly… hurt. He… he… had… forced himself on  
me earlier… and — I was badly hurt. I had cracked ribs, and — I was dizzy… nauseous…  
maybe… a mild concussion?"  
She looked unseeingly up at him, a question in her eyes, asking him to verify for her if  
that would have been a sign of concussion. Helplessly he shook his head. He was sure at  
this moment, the horror he felt at what she was telling him was well reflected on his face.  
He winced suddenly, and seeing that she suddenly saw him for who he really was.  
"I’m sorry," she said, suddenly feeling unsure of her recitation. "Is this too much? Too…  
graphic? I don’t have to talk about – "  
He shook his head. "No. I’m okay. You can… tell me anything."  
Nodding, she swallowed the dread and dryness in her throat. She slid her eyes away from  
his again, unable to see him when she told her story.  
"I’m… I was there. I was almost… there… and then — I heard his laugh. It was a mocking  
laugh. And… he just… floated down." Her voice was rising in remembered horror. "He just  
floated down… so… casual in his… cruel enjoyment of the situation. He was watching me  
like… he was a god — one of those violent gods from ancient mythologies — and … god  
— what could I have done to fend him off? It was laughable to even think I could fend him  
off… whatever he wanted… he could do… he could have…"  
She looked at him again, and shook her head. "You wield such power. You could… so  
easily…"  
He remained silent. He was unwilling to defend himself… to speak of his own  
harmlessness. It was pointless and irrelevant. She needed to say these things.  
"He hit me," she whispered. "Like this…" she mimicked the casual flick of a hand — the  
seeming non-exertion of any significant force. "Like this – … like this — you could just  
fling a full grown woman across the room," she whispered in horror. "You could do it —  
just like this."  
He felt his heart squeeze again — in pain, in panic and in dismay.  
<<Not me. Not ever me. I couldn’t — I couldn’t. Not me. >>  
"Anyway…" She shook her head tightly. Impatiently, as if shaking the thoughts out from  
her head. "It – it got … it got ugly. He… laughed at me. He mocked me, and then… He hit  
me pretty hard… and — after he made sure I knew my place… made me tell him that I  
knew my place… he dragged me… back … to his quarters… and he — well… he raped me  
again." She winced in the remembered horror and pain of it all. Her voice was low as she  
continued. "I realized then that I was never going to be free." Her eyes traveled unseeingly  
back to his. "That’s when I started to give up. "  
He was transfixed, staring at her, listening to her, almost holding his breath, afraid to  
make any move or sound that might stop her outpouring, and yet, also, desirous of her to  
stop — to not tell him — to not make it real by giving it words.  
And then — he felt the familiar sense of shame at being so very identical — he looked like  
him, sounded like him — probably moved like him part of the time — and… even — his  
smell — was it all Kal-El, and when … if and when she ever allowed him to kiss her, would  
the feel of his lips on hers — his body against hers, his hands on her… would make her  
feel like Kal-El was touching her?  
<<My name is Kal-El. It would be Kal-El. How can she even think of being with me like  
that?>>  
How could they ever be intimate? It was an awful question and he knew for a fact that this  
same question — these same thoughts – they rolled around in Lois’ s mind — and yet,  
even given all that, she had basically declared to him that she had feelings for him. She  
had signed up for something that could potentially bring up such awful feelings for her.  
He let out a shaky breath. She looked up at him questioningly.  
"Are you okay?" She could see that he wasn’t. She was in part remorseful for having hurt  
him, and relieved to see this reaction to her story. A man who looked like this after a story  
like that was not a threat. Not that she thought he was anymore, but it still felt good to  
get the affirmation.  
"Lois. I’m okay. I just… well… I’m affected by what you told me. That’s… a major  
understatement, actually."  
"How… do you feel?"  
"Truthfully?"  
"Yeah…" her voice was hesitant as she gave him leave to tell her what really was on his  
mind. "I mean — if we can’t be truthful…"  
"I want to kill him," he said hoarsely. He shook his head. "I know… it’s a primitive urge… I  
know — and we all have them, and we overcome them… but I want to kill him." He shook  
his head blindly. "I don’t know what would ever happen if I got a chance to go into his  
world."  
"You wouldn’t. You’d find another way," she said softly. She was amazed that his words  
hadn’t frightened her.  
"God. I just don’t know. But… beyond that… I… I — I want to… help you somehow —  
make it better — make it not have happened — but I can’t — so I feel helpless — and then  
I feel horribly guilty for looking so much like him — for being just like him — for laughing  
like that earlier on and then making you feel like I was him — like I was going to hurt you  
— and for… ever making you feel like you were around him again. How awful that must  
feel for you. And then… I feel a lot of fear — because — how could you not … how could  
we ever … be close… without you feeling I was him — how could you ever not feel…  
attacked?" He wasn’t able to look at her as he said these words, his eyes choosing instead  
to rest on her left foot.  
She heard his words, and a flush washed over her as she realized what he meant.  
"Raped, you mean?"  
"Yeah. Raped." He winced as he said it. A horrible word. A horrible act.  
"I… worry about that too," she said. "But… please — don’t … don’t end this — because…"  
His eyes flew up to hers, startled and worried.  
"No! That isn’t what I meant. I … I just… I…" he shook his head again, and smiled ruefully  
at her. "God, I don’t even know what I meant. I just… said what I was thinking. I’m sorry. It  
— I — I don’t want to end this. I just –"  
"I know," she said softly, trying to help bail him out. "You didn’t say anything wrong. All  
the right things, really."  
"Including that part about killing him?" His eyes were anxious on hers. "I shouldn’t have –"  
She smiled. "Oddly enough, that didn’t bother me at all. I’d kill him too. In an instant. But  
I hope never to get near enough to him to be able to do it." She shuddered.  
He hesitated, and she could see that he had something else on his mind.  
"Clark?"  
"You said… about how easy it would be for me to do those things. I — you said it — and  
— I just wanted to say that I couldn’t — that you had it wrong — that I could never… but  
then — I realized — how dare I try to reassure you of that? You’ve seen it… I mean — god  
— you’ve seen it first hand…" he winced, looking away again.  
<<Coward. I’m such a coward. Look her in the eye when you say hurtful things to her.>>  
"I… I have all his abilities — you know for a fact that I could do those things if I ever  
wanted to…"  
"I know — I know that you couldn’t. If I didn’t — I wouldn’t be here with you like this," she  
said hastily. "I’m sorry for saying those things. "  
"No – It’s okay to have said them. It’s part of what you need to do — I’m sure you do think  
about it — how easily I could do the things he did… I mean — it’s what drove your  
articles… beware — because this man could really destroy …everything — and — how  
could you not make that comparison — that observation?"  
She approached him hesitantly and gingerly gripped his hand in hers. She slowly lifted his  
unresisting limb and brushed her cheek with it — mimicking the motion Kal-El had used  
to strike her — to fling her back.  
"You don’t hit… you comfort… you don’t take — you give… you don’t break… you build.  
Equal –maybe… but equal and opposite… isn’t that one of the laws of physics? For every  
force, there’s an equal and opposite one?"  
"I … think so."  
He was mesmerized and thrown off center by her gesture. She was still holding his hand.  
She gasped softly as he took control of the limb and moved it on his own volition,  
repeating the caress, his eyes gazing into hers. She held her breath, frightened despite  
her brave actions and words, and waited hesitantly for him to actually contact her skin  
again — she watched his hand approach her cheek in slow motion, and felt the whisper  
soft caress as his knuckles grazed her cheek bone.  
"How do you do that?" she whispered in awe. "It was so easy for him to… hurt… without  
any exertion at all — how did you modulate your strength so that — it was gentle instead  
of hurtful?"  
"I just can," he said honestly. "I don’t know how. I just can. I’ve never accidentally hurt  
anyone," he confessed to her. "Ever. So… my track record’s pretty good there. I never  
would accidentally or purposely hurt anyone like this."  
She nodded, feeling her heart squeeze. Was it fear, excitement, or a bit of both that was  
rendering her unable to speak.  
He moved his hand again, and cupped her face with it, stroking her cheekbone with his  
thumb.  
"Does this bother you?" he asked quietly. "Or does it feel good?"  
She licked nervous lips and answered. "He… did that. He… held my face like that to grip it  
— to hold it still — so he could — force eye contact when he wanted to make sure I really  
saw him when he spoke… it would start out as a gentle grip — and then get fierce and  
cruel — a mockery — a joke — a cruel game…"  
"Oh –" he moved his hand away, and she grabbed it and held it in her hand.  
"But … when you did it — it felt good — once I got past the fear. I’m not … afraid that you  
— Clark Kent — will hurt me. I’m afraid that…" she shook her head. "I don’t know…  
sometimes –you turn into him — in my mind — and then I am afraid you’ll hurt me — but  
only because I’m confused… and then other times, I’m afraid that what he did to me will  
taint everything between us — that… even a loving and gentle caress… will feel like the  
precursor to being hurt. It’s… really … bad sometimes — here in my mind."  
"I can’t imagine," he said quietly. "I – I don’t have … any idea of what to say about that. I  
guess… I just want you to know that… you don’t need to rush yourself for me. To rush  
the healing process… I know it’ll take time."  
"Maybe… a long time," she said nervously. "Maybe…a long, long, long time."  
"I’ll always be here," he said.  
"As a friend? Or… as … the man I’m hoping to be … more than friends with… someday."  
"The latter," he said, seriously.  
"But how can you? I mean…. Are you sure that… you … you … want me," she said hastily  
and nervously. "Physically? I mean? Are you sure?" His nearness was disturbing and she  
couldn’t believe she was asking this.  
"Yes," he said, his voice sounding suddenly so sensual. "Yes…."  
He looked into her eyes and lifted his other hand very slowly, and lifted it up to her face.  
He saw her swallow nervously, but she didn’t back away. He gently stroked her face again,  
and moved his hand down the side of her face in an unmistakably sensual gesture. "Yes,"  
he repeated again, that same edge his voice.  
For a long while it seemed she was struck mute, and then, she swallowed past the tension  
in her throat, and acknowledged what he had said. "Oh…"  
"Right now… I’d love to be kissing you," he said softly, brushing his thumb across her  
lips. "Right now — I’d love to be holding you." He dropped his hand lightly and placed it  
on her waist ever so gently. "I’d love to pull you close in –right now — like this — and  
then… kiss you."  
His voice was hypnotic and utterly mesmerizing. She swallowed again, lost in the spell he  
was weaving. Another part of her was encouraging her to run away as fast as she could.  
She didn’t know which voice to listen to.  
<<Oh my god. Is he going to kiss me? My god. He’s going to kiss me. I should… I should  
stop this. I should… I should…>>  
Wild and incoherent thoughts were ricocheting through her mind.  
<<Do I let this happen? >>  
Before she could make a decision motivated by her conscious mind, she felt herself taking  
a startled step backwards. She closed her eyes in frustration as she felt the light contact  
of his hand on her waist drop away.  
<<God No! I didn’t just do that. I couldn’t have just done that!>>  
Anguished and embarrassed she struggled to regain control of her emotions. After a long  
moment, she forced herself to open her eyes and meet his gaze.  
"Clark," she said, her voice strained and low. "I’m sorry. I can’t believe… Damn it, Clark, I  
can’t believe I did that."  
He was eager to reassure her.  
<<She has to know it’s okay. I don’t want her to think I’m angry. Not like he would be.  
>>  
"It’s okay — it’s going to take…"  
"No! It’s not okay!" Her voice was suddenly louder and angry. "It’s not okay!"  
<<Clark! Why do you have to be so reassuring all the time?>>  
He was silent against her anger, suddenly unsure about what to say next. The timer  
suddenly rang, and he broke the gaze, looking over at the kitchen. He turned back to face  
her.  
"I have to go get that."  
She saw relief in his expression, a relief he may not even have known he was feeling, and  
hot bitterness rose inside her.  
<<He wants to escape.>>  
"Saved by the bell," she said mockingly. She was shocked as the words came out, she  
hadn’t intended on saying them out loud.  
He hesitated, looking at her with even more uncertainty, and remorse set in. She was  
being unfair.  
"I’m sorry," she said quietly. "That was uncalled for."  
"It’s…" he stopped, not wanting to make her angry by telling her it was okay. Although  
logically he knew she was really angry at herself, he still didn’t want to provoke her at this  
moment in time.  
"It’s okay. I know. But… I’m showing you the worst of me… and we should have our  
relationship on more solid footing before I do that. I’m acting like a jerk."  
"You really aren’t. You were right in guessing that I was relieved about the timer. I just  
wasn’t sure what to say that wouldn’t be… upsetting."  
"You have to walk on eggshells sometimes, don’t you?"  
"Not that often," he said, trying to reassure her.  
"You go and take care of the food… I don’t want to get in the way of dinner prep." "All  
right. It’ll be ready in just a minute."  
After he left her, she gave herself a mental scolding.  
<<Stop picking on him. He isn’t responsible for you being a big mess, and you can’t start  
acting all peevish every time you have a panic attack.>>  
She saw him laying things out on the table, and she walked over, seeing if she could help.  
"It’s all ready."  
"Everything looks great!"  
"Hopefully you’ll think it tastes great."  
After they had settled down to eat, she took her first bite.  
"Clark. You’re even a great cook. Is there anything you don’t do well?"  
"Do you have a couple of hours?"  
She laughed.  
"You’re just being modest. But really… this is great. Did your mom teach you … I’m sorry.  
I don’t want to –"  
"No… no… She taught me to enjoy cooking… but a lot of this I learned on my own."  
"Well, I’m glad you did. Mom always said to hook up with a guy who could cook."  
He laughed at that.  
"Clark. I’m really sorry about before."  
"I know you are. On my account though — there’s no need."  
"I just… I feel like… you know… like… I’m not …"  
She paused a long moment, and he waited silently. He hated it when people tried to fill in  
other people’s sentences.  
"I guess… Okay. I’m just going to come out and say it… even though I feel like an idiot. I  
… I’m really having problems with this whole auction thing. And — I’m really… feeling  
insecure about it. I can’t help but worry that whatever you see in me — will be eclipsed …  
if someone other than Leyna ends up spending that evening with you… I mean… you’re  
going to be going out on a date with another woman, Clark… that makes me  
uncomfortable. Oh my god. I can’t believe I just said this out loud to you. I wasn’t going  
to."  
"Well… can I say something — now?"  
She smiled. "Yeah, I guess you can talk."  
"Okay. First… I’m going to come out and make the very daring statement that if our roles  
were reversed and you were participating in this type of event, I’d be pretty miserable  
about it too."  
"Come on. You don’t mean that."  
"I do. If you and I were involved at the time that I was asked to do this, I would have said  
no, and wouldn’t have felt badly about it. I mean — it’s inappropriate for me to go out on  
a date — even if it is a charity thing, and even if it isn’t meant to be romantic in nature.  
It’s not right, it’s not fair to you. The way you feel makes sense, Lois."  
She smiled shyly at the earnestness in his expression.  
"Thanks," she said softly. "It helps to hear that. Because… jealousy is not necessarily an  
attractive thing in a person. And I’ve had a lifetime of dealing with possessive people who  
are prone to violent jealous fits." She shuddered.  
"Let me guess…"  
"Yeah. I mean — it goes with everything else… right? That whole control thing."  
"Did it bug you that I told you it would bother me if you were doing this? Because it would.  
I’m not saying that to make you feel better about your own feelings… at the same time, I  
don’t want you to feel threatened by it. If you ever decided to move on from… well —  
from us… even if I didn’t want to break up, I wouldn’t — act badly about it. Do you… well  
— I hope you believe that." "I believe it, Clark."  
"Good." His relief was obvious, and she had to force back a smile.  
"But…" Her smile sobered as she moved back on her initial track. "I … I still feel badly  
about it… even with your validation."  
"You feel threatened by it?"  
"Kind of," she was shy now, unable to meet his gaze directly. She was skirting dangerously  
back to topics which made her uncomfortable.  
"What… what do you think will happen?"  
"I… I mean — what if Leyna doesn’t… and… it’s someone like Carissa… or it… it is  
Carissa."  
"Carissa’s not important to me, Lois. She’s… a casual acquaintance, if anything."  
"My… my dad had a lot of those."  
"Lois… I know your dad…"  
"I’m sorry. You aren’t him… and you aren’t *him*. I can’t do this to you — make you pay  
for the sins of other men."  
"You aren’t doing that… our lives are always the sum of our experiences, and we bring  
those to every new experience. You haven’t exactly been given a lot of reasons to trust  
that people will… be truthful with you. I know that."  
"You… I know you can be trusted… that way… it’s not that I think you’d do anything  
behind my back or anything… but I’m afraid of that… that… dear Lois letter…"  
"I…"  
"What… I mean — what would … what would happen on this date? Describe it to me…  
please."  
"Just… you know… the usual… dinner… dancing… that kind of thing."  
She let out a mocking laugh. "That kind of thing."  
"What?" He was genuinely lost now.  
She looked at him directly, entreaty in her eyes.  
"Dancing."  
Comprehension gleamed in his answering gaze.  
"Oh…"  
She closed her eyes in frustration with her own feelings.  
"I know — I know that you’re okay with it… with backing off from any deeper kind of  
intimacy at this moment in time… but I still feel like a sideshow freak. I mean — I can’t  
even go on a date, do the ‘usual’ without acting like a scared little teenager on her first  
date! It’s pathetic!" "You went through hell, Lois. That’s bound to have an effect on  
anyone!"  
"I know. I know. Rationally I know one thing… but… I’m not the world’s most patient  
person. And… my lack of self-confidence is showing… and… my lack of trust… and… add  
it all up, and you have one woman, going crazy with worry over a simple thing like a  
charity date auction. I guess it eats me up — you’re doing this thing with her that you  
haven’t ever done with me!"  
"How can I make this better? Should I cancel?"  
"You can’t cancel!! Not on my account! I mean — it’s really for a good cause — and I’d feel  
awful if you had to cancel — especially since we aren’t public with this yet… I … I don’t  
want you to do it. Promise you won’t cancel."  
"I won’t… I mean — barring an emergency…"  
"Right.. so I just have to engineer an oil spill somewhere…"  
"Hey — now you’re sounding like Lex Luthor."  
"Hey!"  
"How about this… how about … tonight… this evening… now… how about… you dance  
with me?"  
"Oh," she breathed, suddenly feeling very nervous again. "Oh… yeah… I mean — that…  
that’s an idea…"  
"Want to give it a try?"  
<<Please say yes. Please don’t be afraid — and please don’t feel pressured!>>  
"You mean now?"  
<<Now? Now? Oh. No. I can’t do this!>>  
"No better time, right?" He was trying not to let his own nervousness show… but it was  
hard in the face of her obvious fear.  
"Uh… yeah. I mean… I guess…"  
"Lois… no pressure, okay? I don’t want you to feel –"  
"No. I don’t. Not from you… the only pressure is from me… I — I’m sorry. You asked me  
to dance, and I’m acting like you asked me to pick up an alligator. I… I’d love to dance,"  
she said, feeling shy again. It amazed her how they could talk about such powerful things,  
and yet, she could still sometimes feel so awkward and shy about things.  
He stood up, and she watched, her heart squeezing in her chest as he came around to her  
and held out an inviting hand.  
"Okay," she said, on a breathless exhalation.  
<<No hyperventilating!>>  
She took his hand, and pulled herself up, trying to calm her extremely agitated nerves.  
<<We’ve been close together before. Flying. This is okay. Nothing we haven’t done  
before. Well. It is. But not really. But… well.. yeah, really. This is different. Very different.  
>>  
She took in a breath and let it out quickly. She connected her gaze to his, and smiled.  
"I’m okay. I know you want to ask… so I figured I’d just get it out there. I’m okay."  
"Okay," he said gently. He let go of her hand and went over to the stereo system. Soon the  
music was playing, and her heart picked up in rhythm. The music made it more real  
somehow.  
"Is the music okay?" He was right in front of her now.  
She nodded, unable to speak at this particular moment in time. Looking at him, she  
swallowed hard, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. Anxious eyes lifted to  
his and he saw the mixed emotions. His heart went out to her.  
"Remember… nothing that you don’t want. You can just call a halt to this at any time."  
She nodded, feeling vaguely detached from her body.  
"Ready?"  
"No," she laughed — it was a harsh sound coming from her heart. "But let’s… just try  
this."  
He stepped into her personal space, and very gently drew her into his arms.  
"Is this okay?" His voice was low and quiet.  
"So far," she said nervously. Her heart was pounding, and she felt her nerves on fire. She  
was trying very hard to beat back the sensation of being trapped.  
He gently tugged her in closer, and she gasped a little as she felt off balance due to her  
natural resistance. She stumbled awkwardly, and he gently held her upright as she settled  
herself. She was in close to him — in ‘slow dancing’ proximity, and she gasped again as  
their bodies came into gentle contact. She could feel the heat from his body and felt the  
steady beating of his heart. They were so close in together, and suddenly she felt very  
worried, very menaced, and very tense. Despite her mind yelling out to her body that this  
was Clark, her body began to slip back into familiar reactions… reacting to being locked  
in Kal-El’s unforgiving embrace.  
She let out a worried exhalation as she realized that panic was over-taking her, and then  
she heard his voice by her ear.  
"You’re trembling," he said softly. "Your heart is beating so fast. Do you want to stop  
this?"  
She took a few deep breaths to get herself under control.  
"Yes… I’m … I’m scared. But… I don’t want to stop… okay?"  
To give her words extra emphasis, she tentatively rested her cheek against his chest  
letting out a slow shaky breath.  
Very carefully, he moved the hand that had been on her waist so that it was gently  
pressing against her back and they began to move to the music.  
Despite her fear and feeling of awkwardness, she kept her weight balanced on the balls of  
her feet and followed his lead without letting him do all the work.  
"You’re a good dancer," he said quietly, speaking so that she would know that it was him.  
Belatedly he realized that maybe his voice might sound like Kal-El’s and that it would just  
make things worse.  
"Lucy and I both – my parents wanted us to learn this particular social grace."  
"I’ll have to dance with Lucy for comparison," he said teasingly.  
"Hey. Lucy can find her own partner," she said laughingly, trying to keep the light banter  
going. Her heart reached out to him. He really was trying hard to keep her at ease.  
"Is this okay?"  
"Yeah…" her voice was a breathless sigh. "It is. I’m not having a panic attack." There was  
surprised wonder in her tone.  
The phone rang, it’s loud and strident tones caused her to jerk back in alarm.  
Immediately, he released his hold on her.  
"It’s just the phone," he said. "I got it…"  
"It’s stopped ringing."  
"So it has…"  
"I hope it isn’t … I hope whoever’s bothering me isn’t …"  
"What are you going to do about tonight? I mean…" he blushed suddenly. "I mean —  
about the caller… do you …"  
"No," she said firmly. "I don’t. Because… this is a date… and if I sleep on the couch, it’ll  
just be weird. I… I told Lucy I might crash at her place."  
"Good!"  
"So… you can drive me there later."  
"Oh. Sure!"  
"Because… well… the wine has made me lightheaded and I never want to take that kind of  
risk. Also… I don’t feel safe being out late… on my own."  
"I’d be happy to do it, Lois. And you know — if you ever are in danger –"  
"You’re there. I know. I know. I count on it… you know?"  
"Did… did you want to…"  
"As… incredible as it was… and… it was… I think… I need — I –"  
"It’s okay Lois. Really."  
"Want to go to the living room? And talk? And have some more wine?"  
"Sounds great. Let me get everything and -"  
"No. Let me at least get our glasses."  
"Ok. I’ll get the bottle."  
After she placed the glasses next to each other, she sat down on the big couch. He came  
over, and put the bottle down, and then he sat in the nearby armchair.  
"Please… can you.. can you sit here?" She indicated the large couch.  
"It’s okay – I’m comfortable here," he said with a smile.  
"No — No… can you … can you please sit here. Next to me? Please?"  
<<Oh. Oh. Ohhhhh. Yeah. I get it. Not too thickheaded, am I?>>  
He looked at her intently. "Are you sure?"  
She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "Yes," she said, her voice barely  
more than a whisper. "Please."  
He carefully stood up and walked over to sit next to her. He watched her carefully for any  
signs of panic at his approach. Her eyes met his steadily and it gave him the courage to  
join her. He sat down next to her, leaving a foot of space between them."  
"Let me show you what I mean," she said, as she moved over right next to him. Inwardly,  
her heart was pounding, and she was bracing against an onslaught on panic, but she was  
trying very hard to project calm. She wanted there to be more from this night — more that  
would make her feel like they had a chance of ever making this work. More that might  
make her feel less insecure about his date with whoever won the auction.  
"You…" she croaked, and then, cleared her throat a bit. "You can put your arm around me  
— if you’d like?"  
"Like this?" His movements had been very careful and measured, and his arm as it landed  
across her shoulders was very gentle and deliberately non-threatening.  
"Well," she said, with a hint of humor in her voce. "It’ll do for now."  
"Glad to hear," he responded with equal humor.  
They sat like that in silence a few moments.  
She brought her glass of wine up to drink its contents, and realized it was mostly empty.  
She leaned forward a bit, and his arm on her didn’t restrain her in the slightest. That  
simple fact gave her an extra shot of courage. She poured herself a glass and moved to  
settle back against him. Suddenly she realized she hadn’t even offered him any and she  
turned to ask if he wanted more.  
Their eyes connected immediately, and she was startled by the unguarded expression in  
his eyes. It mesmerized her, as it had the few times he had deliberately dropped his  
guard, and she felt her breath catch. She swallowed reflexively, her throat suddenly dry,  
unable to break the gaze. He seemed equally moved, and equally mesmerized.  
<<She’s so beautiful. She’s very beautiful And… I think…I think I’m going to kiss her.>>  
Without really being aware of it, his arm shifted a bit, and he tightened his grip on her  
shoulders imperceptibly. He leaned forward, ever so slowly, his eyes never breaking  
contact with hers.  
She felt a strange and oddly heady mixture of fear and excitement squeeze a tight grip on  
her heart. She felt like he must be able to hear her heart’s increased pounding — it was so  
loud in her ears. She felt almost like a small animal, caught in a predators gaze. So  
fascinated by those eyes, unable to escape to safety — sealing her fate. There was a weak  
and distant voice in her crying out for her to move, to break the spell, to stop him, but  
she fiercely tamped it down. She wanted this.  
She closed her eyes as his lips hovered just centimeters near hers, and tensed up in  
worried expectation as his arm tightened further bringing her close in to meet his kiss.  
And suddenly — he was kissing her.  
The first touch of his lips on hers had been a mere brushing of lips. After that, he had  
leaned in closer and kissed her again, this time, the pressure a little more tangible. The  
hand that had been against her back was now pulling her in closer towards him.  
Her mind was whirling fast with different feelings — panic, apprehension, excitement and  
tense anticipation.  
She was relieved to find that his kiss was nothing like Kal-El’s and that this wasn’t  
evoking any harsh and sudden flashbacks. She was here, in the moment, with him.  
Although, she was very nervous about where the kiss would lead, she was eager to keep  
the contact. The warm and sensual feelings that his kiss was evoking in her were  
preventing her from even wanting to try to test the truth of her freedom.  
Briefly, he lifted his head to look at her, and she saw an unfathomable expression in his  
eyes. Her eyes locked with his, and she nervously licked her bottom lip with the tip of her  
tongue. The gesture fascinated him, and he dropped his gaze from her eyes, down to that  
lower lip. He moved his free hand to caress her lip with his thumb as he did earlier on in  
the evening, and then he leaned in to kiss her again.  
This kiss was slightly more intense than the previous one, less tentative… more  
purposeful, and she felt a small squeeze of apprehension.  
<<Don’t think about Kal-El. This is Clark, he’ll stop if I ask him to. And I don’t want him  
to. Not yet. >>  
In defiance of her nervousness, she leaned into him, taking a small amount of control of  
the situation, and kissed him back. As she did this, she felt her nervousness abate a bit.  
Thoughts of Kal-El were pushed into the back burner, and she felt her body react with  
pleasure at his nearness and at this contact. In her entire life, nobody had ever made her  
feel this way with just a kiss.  
<<Wow. He sure knows how to kiss.>>  
He retreated again, and she felt devastated by the sudden loss of his lips against hers.  
<<No. Don’t stop. >>  
Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, and looked at him with wounded confusion.  
<<Why did you stop?>>  
He had backed away in order to ensure that she really wanted to be kissing him.  
Expecting to see wariness, tension and fear, instead he saw the hazy confusion in her  
eyes and the spark of desire. His body responded immediately, and he was taken aback at  
the strength and immediacy of that response. It was almost as if his cognitive brain  
functions were actually shutting down.  
"Lois," he gasped, his voice now a sensual rasp. "God, I … I…" He wasn’t able to stop  
himself, he moved in again, and this time, he pulled her close with an increasing sense of  
urgency. More than anything, he wanted to kiss her again — to feel her body against his.  
In the moment before they made contact she saw the deep glittering desire in his eyes,  
and suddenly, a thought shocked through her mind.  
<<He looks just like Kal-El!>>  
The thought acted like a bucket of ice-water against her incipient feelings of desire, and  
this time as his lips descended on hers she felt trapped and menaced. Her body hadn’t yet  
had time to transmit this change of mind to him, and he wrapped his arm around her  
waist and pulled her even closer. Her feelings of being trapped intensified, and her heart  
started beating faster. She was scared and she wanted to be free of this.  
Blindly, she pushed away, ignoring the warning voice that told her she should never rebuff  
Kal-El. As soon as she did, he let her go, and panic flared even harder as she realized that  
she had done the one thing she should never ever do — she had resisted.  
<<Oh god! He’ll be angry!>>  
"I — I –" she started to gasp out a frightened apology and he quickly grasped her face  
between his hands and urged her to look at him.  
"It’s me, Lois. It’s me. I’m not him!"  
Her eyes were wide and almost unseeing, but something in the way he sounded got  
through to her. She felt herself start to calm down, and after a long and painful moment,  
she wordlessly nodded, indicating her understanding.  
"I’m sorry," she gasped , breathless from the exertion of being afraid.  
"I think I’m the one who owes you an apology," he said. "I shouldn’t have –"  
"But I wanted you to. I encouraged you to. I wanted that!" Her  
voice was an anxious protest. "Please — if you feel guilty every time something like this  
happens –" She broke off, unwilling to complete her thought.  
<<We won’t ever be lovers.>>  
He looked back at her, unspoken remorse still in his expression. He knew what she was  
going to say and he tried not to let his own feelings show.  
<<How can I ever have the courage to even try to get that close to her? The kinds of  
flashbacks that could bring back could be nightmarish for us both. >>  
"Are you all right?"  
"I’m fine," she said, looking away. Truth be told, she was deeply embarrassed by her  
reaction. He had been so gentle and careful and completely in control — and she had  
reacted like a ninny.  
"Do you want to –"  
"I don’t think I’m ready to do this again… not tonight… I mean — but… next time…  
definitely."  
"I… I actually was going to ask if you wanted me to drive you home. It’s late, and I know  
you have work tomorrow."  
"Oh…" Her cheeks flushed red, and she looked away again. "Oh. God. Oh… I’m sorry — I  
…" She trailed off, feeling even more gauche than before.  
"But I’m really looking forward to next time," he said with a teasing edge to his voice.  
"Especially now."  
Despite herself, she smiled shyly.  
"Me too. I really am. And… yeah… I guess we should call it a night."  
"Come on… I’ll drive you home."  
"Sure you don’t just want to fly me home?"  
"Is that what you want?"  
"I… I don’t know. It kind of seems like it might be nice."  
"I’d be happy to — but I’m also happy to drive you home."  
"You know… maybe you should. I don’t want Lucy going ballistic if she sees us fly in…"  
"Don’t you think she’ll go ballistic anyway? Seeing us drive in?"  
"You’re probably right. But I don’t want to put you through the hassle of getting my car  
back to me."  
He heard the unspoken worry in her voice. She wanted to fly but she was afraid. Afraid of  
having a panic attack, which to her, would make her feel like she had ruined their date. He  
gracefully let her last comment pass without trying to assure her that getting her car back  
would be no problem.  
They made their way down to her car, and after they had gotten themselves settled in, he  
turned to her trying to assess how she was doing.  
"Are you sure… that… you’re okay?"  
"Clark," her voice held gentle exasperation. "I promise — I wouldn’t lie to you about it."  
"I just… I –"  
"I’m fine," she said softly.  
"If I … If I made you feel — that you were with him — I –"  
"You didn’t. I had a bit of a panicked moment. But at no time when I was kissing you was I  
thinking of him. It was just at the end … I — I mean — you know that I wouldn’t have  
been responding to you if I thought you were him, don’t you? I mean — you do know that,  
right?" Her voice was suddenly very worried. "You know that I wasn’t… in the slightest  
amount… attracted to him… right?"  
"No! God — of course. I know — I know — I wasn’t saying that… or if I was, I didn’t mean  
to be saying that. I just was worried that — well — if you thought that I was him, you  
wouldn’t push me away — because," he winced before continuing, " — because he would  
have hurt you if you ever did that."  
"You’re right," she said, her voice quiet again. "He would have, and he did. But…  
remember this… I did … push you away — when things got too much for me to take,  
when my fears started to come back into the forefront of my mind. And — that’s not  
something I could have ever done with him."  
"Oh… I hadn’t really thought of that. Thanks for telling me."  
They drove on in silence for a little while, and then she broke the quiet.  
"I had a great time," she said.  
"Me too."  
"How are you feeling about Friday?"  
"I wish it were over."  
"I can understand that. It must be awkward sometimes — being so much in the public eye  
— it’s not like you ever sought that out for yourself."  
"Well… it has its ups and downs. I wish I’d managed to keep my identities separate… like  
that other Clark."  
"I still don’t understand how glasses could make such a difference… is she really all that  
smart? How can she be?"  
"Lois!!"  
"It just seems… I don’t know — you’d have to be kind of…"  
"I don’t know. It does work for him — and she wasn’t the only one who didn’t see it… I’ve  
met some of the people in her world, and they seemed really smart to me. I think that  
they just didn’t see it because it seemed so improbable."  
"Yeah… maybe. But… what do you mean, you’ve met some of the people in her world?"  
"I went there once."  
"Why?"  
"I — had to help find Clark…" His voice was tense with discomfort. He didn’t want to talk  
to her about dimension- hopping, he didn’t want to talk about Tempus, and he really  
didn’t want to tell her that he made a move on her counterpart. Not just yet, anyway.  
"Oh," she said, detecting his discomfort. "And… did you find him?"  
"Yes."  
"Oh."  
"I — uh… I got to meet his parents…"  
"Oh my god. That must have been amazing… and painful…"  
"Yeah. It was. I think that’s when I started to feel kind of bitter about things. Full of self-  
pity, you know?"  
"I can imagine."  
"But then – I see what you’ve gone through and how you’ve overcome it all — and… I  
realize that my problems are so small… I have a really good life, all things considered,  
and now that you’re a part of it, it’s an amazing life."  
She smiled. "Likewise."  
"Come on, I’ll walk you up."  
"You don’t have to –"  
"Yes. I do. Please… indulge me on this? I just worry — it’s late, and it’s dark — and…"  
"Indulgence granted," she said with another smile. "Honestly, I’m glad of your company."  
He walked her to the door, and then he asked her one more time.  
"So… you’re really okay? We’re okay?"  
"I’m fine," she said, smiling at him gently. "In fact, I wouldn’t mind a good night kiss from  
you."  
"Oh… yeah?" His voice was suddenly sensual again and she felt a jolt of nervous  
excitement.  
It was night, and she could hardly see – he seemed even larger and more imposing in the  
dark, and yet she longed to repeat the experience of feeling so wonderful while in his  
arms.  
"Yeah," she said, her throat suddenly dry again. "How about it?"  
She stepped closer to him, her body almost touching his, and he felt a surge of love for  
her. She was afraid — she was afraid of another panic attack, she was afraid of what  
kissing him might make her feel… but she was still asking him to do it, inviting him to  
share this intimacy with her again. And he loved her for her bravery. He loved her for her  
determination not to let the past ruin her future.  
He reached out, and stroked her hair, and then dropped that hand to come around her  
back. Like before, his arm was circling her, and he drew her close as he bent down to  
meet her.  
She once again felt a spark of fear and excitement as the space closed between them. But  
this time as their lips met, she gave herself up entirely to the feeling. This was a good  
night kiss and there was no hidden voice to warn her about going too far in the confines  
of his apartment. Although she knew that he would never do anything without her  
express consent, it was deeply ingrained in her, even just from being a woman, that you  
had to be careful under certain circumstances.  
This kiss, shared under the stars was spectacular. And it was over all too quickly.  
"I’d better go," he said, his voice regretful. "It’s late… and I don’t want you to be dragging  
tomorrow."  
"I’ll be dragging until I see you again," she said, honestly. "I can’t wait!"  
"I can’t wait either."  
"I wish I could have stayed with you tonight…" She flushed, she realized she had actually  
said that. "I… I can’t wait for a time when I can."  
"Me either…"  
She smiled at that, half-expecting him to start telling her that there was no pressure, no  
worries, that they had all the time in the world. Instead, he had answered with the same  
heart-felt honesty that she had just shown him. Barriers had been broken tonight…  
physical, as well as mental, and she had no intention of giving up her hard-won gains.  
"Can you come see me after the auction? I’m guessing you won’t have your date that same  
night."  
"But it might be late…"  
"As if that matters…"  
"Okay. I’ll definitely come see you. If you’re asleep — I’ll just…"  
"Wake me up. No matter how late… even if it’s 4:00 in the morning because you got  
caught up in an emergency. Wake me up — I want to hear about it… I want to… just  
connect with you — to see you — to feel your presence… it’ll make me feel better…  
okay?"  
"Okay."  
"Besides… if you have to wake me, you can do it in the fairy-tale honored way," she said,  
an impish sparkle in her eyes.  
"Lois," he said, his voice suddenly deeper and tinged with playful warning. "You know…  
you’re really –" appalled, he stopped himself short.  
<<Oh god. I was going to say ‘playing with fire.’ How could I even say something like  
that?>>  
"I’m really what?"  
"Terrific," he said, trying to save himself from further blunder.  
"Liar. What were you really going to say?"  
"Lois… please…"  
"Okay. Okay. I’ll let it go. This time. But… you will come over on Friday, right?"  
"Yes. Wild horses might actually delay me, but they won’t stop me. "  
He stepped away from her and spun into his flying clothes.  
"I… I’ll see you," he said, hoping against hope that his transformation into Superman  
wouldn’t make her associate him back to Kal-El.  
"Wait," she said.  
"What’s wrong?"  
"This…"  
She moved forward again into his space, and placing her arms around his neck, gave him  
another kiss. Her lips connected with his for a brief moment, and then she stepped back  
again feeling flushed and embarrassed.  
"Wow…"  
"I… I wanted to … kiss you as Superman… to…"  
"You never have to explain why you’d do something like that," he said.  
"It’s just that — you know… how sometimes I act differently when you’re like this… I just  
wanted you to know that … it’s all of you- that I want…."  
"Thank you, Lois. That means a lot. That means everything."  
"You don’t need to thank me… I just wanted you to know that," she said feeling shy.  
"I’m glad you did. Good night, Lois," he said. "I’ll see you on Friday, okay?"  
"Okay," she said, still feeling shy. They had shared so much intimacy this evening, but  
when she thought about it now, and about resuming it later, she felt awkward. "I guess I’ll  
go in now."  
He waited for her to go in, and after she had, he rose up into the air. From the air, he  
scanned Lucy’s apartment to make sure Lois had made it in okay. He didn’t feel terribly  
guilty about doing that. He worried about Lois. It seemed a certainty that Luthor was  
going to get retribution for the imagined slights that he had ranted on about at their last  
meeting. Also, he was worried about whoever was making the phone calls. Nonetheless,  
he was extremely glad that Lucy hadn’t been doing anything that he would have been  
embarrassed at seeing.  
Satisfied that she was safe, he flew off.  
Lois entered the apartment, feeling a sense of loss. I hate being apart from him. She was  
relieved to see that Lucy was home and awake. It helped make her feel less lonely for  
Clark.  
"Lucy! I didn’t think you’d be up."  
"So, pretty lady… how did the date go?"  
Lois looked at Lucy and then burst into tears.  
Lucy, awash with concern, rushed forward and drew her sister into a tight embrace.  
"What? What is it? What?" Her voice was gentle and inquiring as she held her, fearing the  
worst. "My god — what is it?"  
Lois stayed in her sister’s arms a few moments, and then pulled back, rubbing at her eyes  
and nose, trying to regain a semblance of calm.  
"No — No, Lucy – " her voice was raw from crying. "It was wonderful. He was wonderful. I  
just…. I guess… I just got caught up in the whole …"  
"Of course, of course," soothed Lucy, waving aside her sister’s need to explain. "Lois, I  
understand. I really do. Did you want to talk about it?" Her voice and expression were  
deeply solicitous.  
"I… I — I don’t know."  
"It’s okay. I won’t be offended if you don’t want to."  
"It’s just so… intense. You know? Intense."  
"Okay…"  
"I… It was fantastic, Lucy. We had a great time. He’s just the most amazing man."  
Lucy quirked a smile. "Super, one might even say."  
"Oh, Lucy!"  
"So you had a good time?" She asked the redundant question with a note of hopeful  
yearning in her voice. "You really did?"  
"We… uh… we danced, Lucy… and we even … we kissed!"  
"Oh my god. I didn’t think that you would — I mean — I didn’t expect it — so soon!"  
"I know."  
"Did he kiss you, or…"  
"It was a mutual thing, you know? "  
"And the kiss? What was it like… did you…" She trailed off, hesitant about asking.  
"No — well — I did have a small … there were moments of panic, moments of difficulty —  
there was one bad moment, actually… but then, the other bad moment wasn’t really all  
that bad, and in the end it was just so amazing."  
"That’s so wonderful! I am so envious!! I want to hate you, but I can’t."  
"He’s one of a kind. I don’t blame you or any other woman for hating me. He’s the most  
incredible man."  
"You sound like you’re in love."  
"I don’t know, Lucy. I … can I really be in love so soon?"  
"I think so," Lucy answered quietly.  
"I — I just… I …" Her brow furrowed as a new difficulty occurred to her.  
"What?"  
"Well… we got kind of close… I mean — for me… we kissed — several times… and… I just  
— what if… I can’t do that the next time? What if he just expects that I can? I mean —  
what if the next time he sees me he moves in to kiss me — right away? And I freak out?  
I… I usually am kind of shy and awkward around him at first — sometimes he looks  
exactly like Kal-El when I first see him — it takes me a while to ease into him being Clark.  
So what if — what if… I kind of insinuated that next time I’d like to do more of that… and  
he seemed receptive to the idea… so what if –"  
"Lois!"  
"Sorry."  
"I’m sorry — I know your fears are very… justified. But — I just need to say something  
here. He won’t. Wouldn’t you say that up until this point he’s been very careful about  
reading your mood before doing or saying anything? I mean — you even said that his  
second-guessing your reactions was a little on the overboard side… right?"  
"Yeah…"  
"Well — given that — I’m sure that the next time he sees you — he won’t just act like you  
both can continue where you left off. Not him. He’s too smart and sensitive for that."  
"Yeah. You’re right. I know…"  
"You haven’t…committed to anything by getting closer. You haven’t set a new line in the  
sand."  
"I guess. I just — I don’t want him to think I’m some kind of a tease."  
"You aren’t. You’re a woman suffering from some rather serious post-traumatic stuff and  
healing takes time — a lifetime even. You may get a flashback even 50 years from now  
even after you think you’ve resolved all the issues."  
  



	6. Chapter 6

"I see your psychology classes are finally doing you some good,"  
she said, smiling good-naturedly at her sister  
"Sorry," she said, flushing red. "I don’t suppose I know what I’m talking about."  
"No. Don’t be sorry. This is good stuff to hear. Thank you. You’re right. He’s far too smart  
and sensitive to do something like that. I guess I just started thinking… I asked him to  
come over on Friday, after the auction — and he said he would. I asked him to wake me,  
and then… and I can’t even believe I said this… I implied that if I were asleep… he could  
… um… kiss me… to wake me up."  
"You said that?"  
"I used the phrase — ‘fairy-tale method’"  
"Wow…"  
"So… the question is… do you think he’ll actually…"  
"I still think he’d be reticent about doing something like that."  
"Yeah. I hope… I don’t know what I hope. He’s such an amazing kisser, Lucy!"  
"Oh, I’ll bet," she sighed dreamily. "You lucky…."  
"I’ve never… ever kissed anyone who kisses like that. Part of me wishes I was still with  
him, feeling those amazing feelings… and another part of me is extremely worried about  
doing it again. Mostly I’m worried that bad memories will intrude and make me feel how I  
felt before — even though he isn’t hurting me in any way. I know he wouldn’t. I just don’t  
want to feel like I did — that sick and hopeless and terrified feeling. It was horrible."  
Lucy’s brows were knit with worry as she listened to Lois reminisce.  
"I can’t imagine, but… I can see why you would worry about that."  
"I’m sure it’ll get better each time."  
"I am too."  
"But now, I have to wait until Friday night — early Saturday morning before I get to see  
him again. And what do I wear to sleep? Do I wear regular boring pajamas or do I go for a  
sexier look?"  
"Be yourself, is my best advice. Go for what you usually wear."  
"Hmm. Boring then…"  
"Yeah, but it’ll put less pressure on you — you won’t feel self- conscious about it."  
"Good point. And… I don’t want him thinking I’m a tease."  
"He will never think that about you. You aren’t a tease. A tease does it to deliberately  
make someone suffer. You don’t do that — you never did."  
"Thanks, Lucy." She reached out and gave her sister a hug. "I guess I’ll go to sleep."  
Lois managed to get through the next day without seeing or hearing from Clark. It hadn’t  
been easy. She couldn’t stop thinking about him and those amazing kisses that they had  
shared. She kept reliving the sensation of dancing close up against him and feeling his  
arms around her.  
<<How can I function if all I do is moon around like a love- struck teenager?>>  
Finally, it was Friday and she had fallen asleep while watching the news. She had been  
waiting to hear the results of the auction. Exhaustion from a series of nights with very  
little sleep had caught up with her, and before she heard the results, she had fallen fast  
asleep on the couch.  
Hours later, she woke up with a start and sat up. The television was still on and it was  
very late. The auction was long over. She stood up, and made her way over to her laptop,  
intending to use the internet to find out who had won the auction. Her heart in her throat,  
she went over to the website that had been setup for the auction, and waited for it to  
load. The bad news was right on the front page. << Carissa. Great. Carissa. Leyna didn’t  
come through, I guess. I had heard that she was overseas, but I had hoped that she would  
be back in time for this. I can’t fault her for it… her career is important to her, the way  
mine is to me, but I really wish this one time, she had put friendship over a story. I can’t  
worry about it. He doesn’t love Carissa. I don’t even think he likes her. It’s me he wants to  
be with. Not her. Not some stupid super- model. Some stupid, beautiful, tall, glamorous,  
young, wealthy woman. What’s to be jealous about?>>  
She heard a knocking sound and jumped in sudden fear. She turned to the direction of the  
knocking. It was Clark. All at once she felt a surge of shyness.  
Last time they had been together, she had been so forward with the things she did and  
said… at least, forward for her. And now, she was nervous. She was nervous that things  
would be awkward. Nervous that he might pull her close and kiss her as soon as she  
opened that window. Could she handle it if he did? Could she handle it if he didn’t? Her  
heart pounding with nervousness, she went over and opened the balcony doors.  
He floated in and landed a few feet away from her, trying to give her the space that he  
knew she needed.  
He remained dressed as Superman, not planning on staying very long because it was late,  
and he knew she was suffering from some serious lack of sleep.  
"You’re awake," he said, spilling out the first thought that came to his mind.  
"Yeah… are you disappointed?"  
<<God. I’m flirting. Where is this coming from?>>  
"Never."  
"I… I –"  
She was back to being nervous and shy, not knowing what to say to him next. His  
costume addled her brain a bit… he seemed so much bigger and Kryptonian. She felt  
diminished a bit in his presence, and she didn’t like that feeling.  
"Would you be more comfortable if I changed?"  
"Are you reading my mind?"  
"No… I — wouldn’t –"  
"No. I’m sorry. I meant that rhetorically. Actually — I’d rather you stayed like this. I need  
to get over it."  
"I know you think that. Just… let me know if you change your mind, okay?"  
"Okay."  
She stepped forward into his personal space, and placed a very tentative hand on his  
chest.  
"We should kiss, shouldn’t we?" Her voice was uncertain.  
"Or not. We don’t really have to do anything, you know. It’s not scripted ahead of time."  
"But — we kissed before, and if we don’t now, then it’s like we’re going backwards."  
"No," he said, grasping her hand gently. "This isn’t a linear path, Lois."  
"I want to kiss you," she repeated stubbornly. She closed her eyes, and waited for the  
wave of sudden panic to go through her. She felt dizzy, and wasn’t sure how long she  
could remain standing on her shaky legs. "But I can’t!"  
"It’s okay," his voice had taken on a pleading quality. He hated it when she did this to  
herself.  
"Maybe you could just kiss me? I think it might be easier if you initiate it." Her eyes bore  
anxiously into his.  
"Okay," he said. "One kiss… coming up." Still holding her hand, he leaned in. As he did so,  
she jerked away reflexively.  
"I’m sorry," she ground out, exasperated and angry at herself. "I didn’t intend to do that.  
It was… an autonomic kind of thing."  
"I figured," he said quietly. "I guess sometimes it’s hard not to act on those impulses."  
"At… at least, I can. I mean — he would have…" she trailed off, and winced. "It… it was…  
ingrained in me not to. I… I guess I don’t have those — uh — defenses in place anymore  
— that enabled me to endure… without … backing away. Making him angry."  
"The only thing here that makes me angry is what he did to you. You can do whatever you  
want — but you already knew that."  
She smiled. "Yeah. I do. Maybe… though… I mean — maybe you could just hold me  
tighter or something — or I could stand right against a wall."  
"What? Why?"  
She flushed in the face of his startled questions. "So we can kiss without me trying to back  
away — if I try, and you’re holding me tighter, or the wall is there — then –" She trailed  
off, feeling awkward. She knew she was asking him to do something he found distasteful.  
"Then I’d be forcing you to kiss me," he said. "I can’t … I won’t do that. I’m sorry."  
"But then … I can’t control it, Clark," she wailed. "And I want to kiss you!"  
"Why are you being so hard on yourself? It doesn’t have to happen — not now, not today  
at all…"  
"It was so wonderful, Clark. I want that again. That feeling. That closeness… don’t you?"  
"Yes – but not if you have to force yourself into doing it!"  
"I just feel that if it’s totally up to me, then we won’t get anywhere. I guess I think I need  
you to kind of take control once in a while."  
He looked at her dubiously.  
"I thought that it should be the other way around."  
"But I kind of need help with it — it’s hard to take a first step sometimes when you’re  
afraid of the consequences of that step. The other day, you sort of did take the lead a few  
times, and it made it easier for me. I’m not saying I want you to be… well… forceful —  
but… you know… maybe… just… maybe if you surprised me."  
"Surprised you?"  
"Like with the hiccups. How if you surprise someone with the hiccups you can make the  
hiccups go away?"  
"Surprise you into kissing me… to make your nervousness go away… or just not be a  
factor?"  
"Ok. Yeah. I guess that’s stupid — I -" She left off with a squeal as he moved suddenly  
faster than she could really see, and suddenly she found herself swept up and cradled in  
his arms.  
"What…" Her voice was a startled gasp, but before she could complete her sentence, his  
lips descended quickly down on hers, and he kissed her gently.  
Moments later, he lifted his head, and looked into her eyes to see how she was taking  
this.  
"Surprise," he whispered gently.  
"You… you… You kissed me."  
"Is it okay?"  
"Uh… oh… oh — yeah." Her voice was dazed. His kiss had awoken all kinds of warm and  
heavy feelings of desire in her, and she was finding it hard to concentrate on anything.  
"Yeah. It was… more than okay."  
Not wanting to push his luck, he placed her gently back on her feet.  
"I was a little worried that … it might upset you — my picking you up like that. I …"  
"He did on occasion… do that. But — mostly, he… I … I don’t want to talk about it right  
now," she said quickly, trying to erase the image of Lord Kal-El grabbing her arm roughly  
and shoving her down on his bed. It hurt to think about this in conjunction to what she  
was sharing with Clark, and if she thought too much of Kal-El, she would see him overlaid  
on Clark, and then, she’d be a complete mess.  
"Okay. No talking about it."  
"I liked it," she said, huskily. "I liked you sweeping me up in your arms like that — it was  
romantic and very exciting. And… I loved the kiss. Thanks for … surprising me. For not  
laughing at my request."  
"I would never laugh at you."  
"Want to sit down?"  
"Sure. Uh…do you mind if I change? I feel really ostentatious like this."  
"Oh. Sure. No problem. I want you to be comfortable."  
He spun into more casual clothes, and she looked at him in awe, her eyes shining and  
luminous.  
"You just amaze me…"  
"Not half as much as you amaze me," he said easily.  
"You know… some day you should… wear black."  
"Black."  
"Yeah. I need to get past that. Too."  
"Okay. You let me know when you want me to do that. I don’t have to ever wear black  
again you know. It’s not a big deal to me."  
"It is to me, though. You should be able to be whoever you are, without caring about my  
reaction."  
"I like worrying about you — or at least… caring about your reactions. If something  
bothers you, for whatever reason — and it’s not a big deal to change it — why shouldn’t  
I?"  
"I still think… it still — I guess I see it as a personal weakness. I’m sorry. I know that  
sounds insane."  
"It isn’t insane. If it bothers you, then we’ll overcome it together. Okay?"  
"Thanks," she said awkwardly.  
She reached out to him, her eyes locking with his, and held his hand. She pulled him  
gently along as she walked over to the couch.  
"Sit with me?"  
"Okay," he said, his voice a little huskier than before. She did strange things to his head.  
She sat down and pulled him down gently next to her. He dropped down at her side, and  
she immediately nestled in against him. Encouraged, he placed an arm around her  
shoulder. She felt suddenly warm at his touch.  
"Mmm. I … I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how we kissed," she said, suddenly  
unable to look at him while she talked. "It’s all I can think about. All I can … it replays  
over and over in my mind, and I can’t … I can’t even imagine thinking of something else."  
"It’s been on my mind too."  
"I … I was hoping we could have a… re-match?"  
He tightened his arm briefly around her shoulders in an affectionate squeeze. "You bet.  
But don’t you want to talk about the auction?"  
"Oh. Yeah. That." Her voice darkened a bit. "Carissa won."  
"I’m Sorry. Leyna couldn’t be here. She’s overseas covering a story."  
"I know."  
"She called and apologized, but I didn’t get the message until after the auction."  
"It’s okay, Clark. Really. I’m okay with it."  
"Good — because…"  
"Actually. I’m lying through my teeth. I’m not… I’m not okay with it. I mean — god… it’s  
Carissa — the most beautiful woman in … well –"  
"Not in the world. And not in Metropolis. You are orders of magnitude more beautiful than  
Carissa."  
"Please, Clark — you don’t have to — appease me… I -"  
"I’m not making that up. You really are, Lois. If you had chosen her line of career you’d  
have made a huge success of it — you’d have eclipsed her."  
"I…"  
"I’m glad you didn’t. The world needs people like you, Lois — championing for what’s  
right… but… you could have. That’s all I’m saying."  
"Oh… Clark."  
"I … I’ve never been interested in her, Lois."  
"But you’re going on a date. And that’s different from just seeing her at parties. You’ll be  
alone with her."  
"We’ve been … we’ve been alone before, Lois."  
"You… did you date her?" Dread trickled into her heart. Was Carissa an ex… lover?  
"Very casually."  
"Casually? Casually? What does that mean? I mean –" She was getting flustered. She stood  
up abruptly and took a few steps away, not willing for him to see her like this.  
He came up behind her and gripped her shoulders, gently turning her back to face him,  
despite the possible explosion of panic that his touch might bring.  
"Please, don’t …" His voice was supplication.  
His touch had sent shivers of anticipation and apprehension through her. She forced  
herself to calm down so she could finish this.  
"But Clark… how can I compete? I mean –"  
"It was nothing. We spent a few evenings together. But it really wasn’t anything."  
"My… my dad had a lot of… meaningless friendships with women, Clark. I know that  
things that aren’t anything can still be something. Nothing can still have the power to  
destroy… happiness, and destroy families. Oh… god… I was worried about with you  
dancing with her, when you couldn’t dance with me- but… now — it’s so much more than  
that, isn’t it? I mean — you’ve… you’ve… I can’t do that! Not yet — and… I –"  
"We haven’t," he said, firmly, guessing what she meant. "I never made love with her."  
She couldn’t look at him, this whole conversation was upsetting her so much, but she  
knew she was wrong to be feeling this way. What happened before their relationship was  
none of her business.  
"You don’t believe me?"  
"I …"  
"Lois, why would I lie?"  
"To make me feel better?"  
"I wouldn’t. I would never lie about something like that."  
"You never… really? You never…"  
"Lois — I don’t know how much you and Lana talked about my relationship with Lana —  
but… I mean — you do know that …"  
"I know you were never… that … close… you were waiting for marriage… right?"  
"Right."  
"Because she wanted to. A lot of women do — and you were willing to wait. I admire that  
about you — I really do — but…"  
"She wasn’t the one who wanted to wait. I was."  
"Oh… you…you were? But… after you broke up, and after the woman you thought you  
loved left this universe — didn’t things change? Didn’t you just… give in to… the… the  
urge?"  
"I didn’t, Lois. I didn’t. Yes… I did almost give up on meeting the right one after Lois left,  
and after I failed to find you. I did. But, I still had hope. Hope that somehow I would meet  
you, despite it all. You were the woman I was meant to be with. I believe that  
wholeheartedly. I waited for you, Lois… even before I knew you, I was waiting for you.  
And… I… I’ll wait for you for the rest of my life. Well… that is, if you want me to wait."  
She took a deep breath, taken aback by his admission.  
"You… are you saying you… you love me?"  
"Yeah. That’s exactly what I’m saying. But… you don’t have to … feel threatened by it —  
okay?" His voice was suddenly nervous. "I’m not the kind of person to … impose myself on  
someone…If you ever decide you want to end this — even if you want to be with someone  
else — it’s okay… I mean — it’d be awful for me — but I wouldn’t… turn into a…. a  
monster over it."  
"I know –I know — please. You don’t need… I just… I …"  
"It’s weird to hear that from me — isn’t it? This early on …"  
"Not weird.. Wonderful. It’s… wonderful. I… I’m pretty sure I love you too," she admitted,  
not able to look at him as she admitted it. " But… I… I don’t…. I didn’t…"  
"I know you aren’t ready for any kind of deep commitment…"  
"Can we sit down, again?" She didn’t want to have this conversation while standing.  
He returned to where they had been sitting, and she sat down next to him again. She  
looked at her hands a long moment, and then finally, screwing up the courage, she lifted  
earnest eyes to meet his.  
"Actually… I was going to say – I was going to say that I’m not… you know. Not a virgin."  
He waited in silence, knowing she still had more to say.  
"I mean… I know — you know I’m not a virgin… what I’m trying to say — is… I wasn’t…  
before. I didn’t wait… I guess… I didn’t wait for the ‘right’ one. I… I kind of feel badly  
about that… but then, I also think that if I had been waiting, then all I would have known  
would have been… Kal-El… and his… brutality — so… so — it’s good that I didn’t –"  
"Lois. Your past relationships — those are in this past… and I don’t regret them expect for  
any pain you may have felt as a result of them."  
"Thank you, Clark… I guess I feel that — you waited, so — you … you deserve to — and  
then — there’s the fact that I’m so… I mean — don’t you worry — that we won’t ever get  
that close?"  
"Lois. I believe very strongly that we are meant to be together. That we are soul-mates. I  
really do feel an amazing and unbelievable connection to you. I think things will work out  
for us."  
"You think we’ll end up… you know… as lovers?"  
"Yeah. I do. And I think — we’ll be happy together."  
"I hope so," she breathed out, feeling slightly lost under his conviction. "I worry  
sometimes… I –"  
"You know — there’s no need to try to push yourself to do anything…"  
"I know. I do know that. And I’m really… glad you feel that way. But — I still feel funny  
about not being able to."  
"I just love being with you."  
The inevitable pause came upon them, and after a few moments he reached over and  
stroked her hair gently with one hand.  
"So… you mentioned a re-match?" he asked her, his voice sounding sensual again.  
She licked her lip nervously as he said that, feeling once again that spasm of fear and  
anticipation. The sight her doing that sent a shockwave through his entire body.  
"God… when you do that," he groaned, unwilling to stop himself from the utterance.  
"Do what," she gasped breathlessly.  
"That thing you do… with your tongue… and your mouth. Your… beautiful mouth. It’s  
so… sexy, and … I really want to kiss you." His voice was deeper now, and over-toned  
with the desire he was feeling.  
She felt a spasm of fear go through her. Like this, he did remind her more of … well —  
not so much of Kal-El — but rather… he reminded her less of himself. His easy going  
manner wasn’t as evident, and she felt like prey caught in a predators gaze. And yet —  
she knew that this kiss would be incredible, like before, and that he wasn’t a predator —  
he was a loving and caring  
partner who wanted to give her pleasure. She was torn with ambivalence.  
<<I want him to show me that he is attracted to me, otherwise I get all insecure. But when  
he does, I get scared.>>  
She swallowed nervously. "I…"  
"Shh. It’s okay." he whispered, and he leaned in carefully and kissed her. By far this was  
the most amazing kiss yet. His lips on hers were careful and gentle, but he seemed more  
sure of himself than before. He increased the pressure, and she felt her lips parting under  
his. Hot waves of warmth flooded her as she felt the tip of his tongue flick against her  
bottom lip, and she gasped against it, opening her lips further.  
As she did that, he pulled her close in against him, her body touching his as he deepened  
the kiss.  
His tongue gently danced with hers as he continued to kiss her, his free hand moving to  
caress her hair.  
She was feeling a whole host of things. She was excited beyond belief by the sensual  
pressure of his kiss. He kissed like a dream — and this was bringing her to levels of desire  
that she had never ever felt before with any other man. And yet — it was an openly  
passionate and sexual kiss. She felt a squeeze of nervousness at the sensuality involved,  
and darts of fear were poking at her, piercing the haze of desire.  
<<Please. Please. Let me not panic.>>  
He felt her tense a little, and he knew that he had pushed a little further than she could go  
at this moment. He pulled back a few inches, ending the kiss, and looked at her with eyes  
that had gone dark with his own desire.  
She felt a sharper jolt of fear at the look in his eyes, and forced herself to keep her gaze  
locked on his.  
<<Remember. This isn’t Kal-El!>>  
"Are you okay?" There was a very sensual edge to his voice.  
"Yeah," she whispered breathlessly. "I… I — I’m okay. I — a little scared — but…  
definitely… okay."  
"I won’t go further than you want me to," he assured her, his eyes never leaving hers. "You  
can stop this at any time."  
Fear gripped her again, as she wondered how far he would go if she didn’t stop him. After  
all, she had asked him to take control. Should she not have done that?  
"How… how far… are… you going to go?" Her voice was breathless again, and she  
inwardly cursed herself for not being able to talk normally.  
"That’s for you to decide," he said. And then he leaned in again and kissed her again.  
Feeling urgency in his actions, her desire temporarily went into hiding as fear took a hold  
of her. She pulled back, and he immediately released her, breaking off his kiss. His eyes  
were so dark now that his expression was inscrutable.  
"I’m sorry," she whispered. "I Just feel…. I feel — like… you’re… I …"  
Tears began to form in her eyes, and she silently cursed herself again for not being able  
to control them.  
In the face of her tears, his manner changed immediately — the sensuality he was exuding  
was replaced by urgent concern.  
"Did I hurt you? Are you all right? Did I go too far? I’m sorry !" "No. No! No — You didn’t.  
You didn’t… I just got scared… it’s stupid — it’s silly — I –"  
"You aren’t stupid or silly. Please… what’s wrong?"  
"I felt… I felt lost… like you weren’t here with me… you… you seemed so different… and I  
don’t usually see you like that."  
"I seemed … like him?"  
"More like him than before — but only because… I’m used to seeing that side of him —  
the side of him that’s… feeling… you know…"  
"I…"  
"But you aren’t like him — when you’re… kissing me. You aren’t like him at all… it’s just  
… an association that my mind makes… and then it… scares me. I guess I felt … like I was  
alone in this. I don’t feel that way when you’re like you are now."  
"Maybe we should just ease off a bit. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you like that."  
"I don’t want to stop this. I don’t want to take backwards steps!"  
"But it isn’t going backwards — it’s just going a little laterally or tangentially — or –"  
"No!! I — I can’t help how I feel — but I don’t want to just stop. I want to challenge those  
feelings. Sometimes I might get like this — but I don’t… I still want this… I want you to  
kiss me again. Please. Will you?"  
He looked at her a long moment, and then reached out to brush some of the moisture of  
her face. It was an impulse born from tenderness, but she flinched and he stopped in his  
tracks.  
<<Did she think I was going to hit her?>>  
"That was stupid of me," he said. "I should have — Did you think that I was going to hit  
you?"  
"No. No — I didn’t think that. It’s just… he used to … like it when I cried… and when I did  
— he would do that… brush away the tears — gently even… it was a sick twisted thing of  
his… parody tenderness… right before inflicting more pain."  
"Oh. Lois." Unable to bear it any longer, he reached out and pulled her into a close  
embrace. This embrace had no sensuality attached to it — he merely wanted to offer her  
comfort.  
She melted into it, and rubbed against his back with her hand. "I’m okay. It’s over. I’m not  
there anymore. He can’t hurt me, and I know that," she reassured him.  
He released her and shook his head.  
"You went through so much hell. I just can’t believe it."  
"Kiss me again, Clark." Her voice was deliberately sexy.  
He looked at her hesitantly, and then, after a long moment, leaned in and gently kissed  
her again, this time keeping it very light.  
She gripped his shoulders, and moved so that she was pressed against him, trying to  
encourage him to deepened the kiss as before. She pressed her lips into his with more  
force, parting her lips on her own volition. This time, she darted her tongue out to lick at  
his lip, and he tightened his arms reflexively in response, a low groan in his throat.  
His action thrilled and scared her all at once, but she persevered.  
He broke off, breathing hard.  
"Are you okay?"  
"I’m more than okay," she said with a very encouraging smile.  
He pulled her close again, and started to kiss her with increasing passion. His lips broke  
from hers, and kissed along her jaw bone. She gasped at the way that made her feel, and  
then, he started to kiss down the side of her neck.  
Her hands on him tightened hard as the familiar conflicting feelings surged through her,  
and she tilted her head to give him better access. A moan escaped her throat as she felt  
desire coursing through her in sharp waves.  
Encouraged by her sounds, he rested his lips at the base of her throat. He darted his  
tongue out to gently lick her right on the pulse point. That simple and very sensuous  
gesture heated her up even further. She felt her entire body starting to burn with an urge  
to get even closer to him. Blood was rushing to various areas of her body, making her  
crave a more intimate contact with him.  
She gasped out his name.  
He lifted his head. "Too much?"  
"No! Clark! God — don’t … don’t… don’t stop!"  
He moved in again, and resumed what he was doing, his tongue tracing lazy and  
torturous circles around her pulse point. She felt her body responding — tightening and  
loosening up all at the same time. She was embarrassed and elated to find that she was  
becoming highly aroused.  
He moved his lips back up and ended up nipping at her ear. She shuddered at the pure  
desire that now had her in its thrall.  
<<God. I want him.>>  
The thought surprised her — she was in the grip of a ferocious passion — and she hadn’t  
expected to ever feel anything remotely like it again. It scared her somewhat — just as his  
passion had scared her earlier.  
He returned to her lips, and pulled her in for another soul- destroying sensuous kiss, and  
this time, his hand slipped under the thin fabric of her top. She felt heat where he  
touched her, and she wondered at how a simple touch could feel so hot. Dimly she was  
aware that there was something she needed to tell him. But she couldn’t really think or  
focus anymore, and decided not to worry about it.  
His hand moved up her body, and she stiffened a little.  
He broke off a bit.  
"Is this okay?" his voice was a sensual murmur that sent shivers down her spine.  
"Yeah," she gasped, completely out of breath from her passion. "Yeah!"  
He kissed her again, and as he did so he gently caressed her bare skin, moving his hand  
over the very sensitized zones of her body.  
She made a strangled sound in her throat, and he paused for a moment to see if she  
would push away.  
He was losing control. Her reactions, the sounds she was making, and the sheer sensual  
pleasure of holding her, kissing her, stroking her skin were all driving him wild. He was  
on fire, and he was finding it really hard to think of anything other than the simple and  
strong desire to bury himself in her body and find his way to completion. He had never  
felt like this before. It scared him.  
He broke off his kiss, and looked into her eyes. "We have to stop. We have to stop now."  
He was gasping out the words.  
"Why?" She was floating on a haze, lost, and unable and unwilling to even contemplate  
putting a stop to this.  
"I … I can’t…. I — I feel like I’m close to losing control." His voice was now a growl, and  
that feral sound finally registered with her. She felt a thrill of fear run through her at the  
idea that he would or could lose control. That fear, as before was linked inexorably with  
sensual excitement.  
<<I wonder what that would be like. >>  
That thought floated up in defiance of the fear in her that was warning her to heed his  
words — to stop this now, before it was too late. The old Lois was afraid of Clark out of  
control, while the sensually awakened wild woman inside her was almost eager to meet  
with her equally wild mate.  
"I… I –"  
"I’m sorry," he gasped out again. "I didn’t think… I would… I — I didn’t think I could get  
like this — feel so out of control like this… it’s never happened to me before… but if I  
don’t stop now — I might not be able to — I might not even be aware you want me to — I  
feel like my mind is clouding over, and I can’t think of anything but making love to you,"  
he confessed in a heated rush. "I can’t let that happen!"  
She nodded, her throat dry. "I… I don’t want to stop — but — I — I don’t know if I’m ready  
for — I don’t think I am — and –"  
"Shh," he said, gently stroking her face with his hand. "I know. I know. And that’s why… I  
stopped — I have to stop — while I still can."  
"So you don’t want to stop?" Insecurity laced her voice, and his eyes darkened again,  
making her feel a shiver inside.  
"I want… nothing more… at this moment… than to kiss you senseless. To press you back  
against the couch — to feel your entire body pressing against mine — to join with you in  
the most intimate way possible," he growled. "And I want that… now!"  
"Oh," once again, all she was capable of was a breathless gasp.  
"Is it okay that I told you that?"  
She nodded her head mutely. She was feeling a very heady combination of fear and desire,  
and she wasn’t even sure she didn’t want the scenario he had just described to happen.  
Her body wanted to blindly arch towards him, to entice him further into a primitive  
rhythm, but the part of her that had been through a hellish ordeal was holding her back.  
Words bubbled through her mind, and ached to burst out and be heard:  
<<Stay. Stay the night. Make love to me.>>  
The words hung there in her mind, but she was unable to break past the fear she was  
feeling — unable to actually ask him to stay. She looked at him, flushed and confused –  
desire and fear warring for control.  
"I want you to stay," she started to say, a nervous edge to her voice. "But — I don’t think  
that… I mean — if you’re close to losing control — and — I don’t know if I can go all the  
way through with this — I don’t know if it’s a good idea."  
He shook his head. "It’s not a good idea. I really can’t believe how I feel when I’m with  
you. It really… shakes me — how much I feel that loss of awareness — that loss of  
control. It scares me, even." His voice was still hoarse from the effects of his own passion.  
She looked up, and met his gaze directly. She saw such honesty and earnestness in them.  
And she also saw the love that had been there all along — probably since day one.  
She reached up, not really thinking, and caressed his face. He caught her hand in one of  
his and held it up against his face with a gentle grip that she knew she could easily break  
free from.  
"I love your face," she sighed.  
"Really? You really do?" Amazement laced his words.  
"You surely can’t be surprised that someone would… you’re so gorgeous. So beautiful —  
and that smile of yours ought to be regulated. I mean — you smile at someone who  
happens to be driving a bike, and that person is going to drive right into a tree."  
He laughed at that, enjoying this side of her.  
"I guess you’re surprised because you look like Kal-El." Her voice was sober now. "I’m  
right… aren’t I?"  
"Well — I mean — it’s hard not to be surprised — that you can even stand to look at me. I  
— I don’t know if I could ever look at someone who looked and sounded like Luthor, and  
call him a trusted friend."  
"I can’t explain it either," she said. "When I first saw you here — I thought you looked  
exactly like Kal-El. But then, when you saved my life — when you saved me from that  
truck — I did finally look at you — after you kept begging me to respond — and… I was  
shocked at how unlike Kal-El you were. It was amazing. Still — it did take me a long time  
to get past it all. Sometimes I was so sure you looked just like him… and other times, it  
was impossible to see the resemblance. I’m still getting through that… sometimes…"  
"When we kiss," he asked cautiously, not trying to hurt her, "do I … is it anything like  
kissing him?"  
"You don’t kiss anything like him. He was brutal and hurtful. He was concerned only with  
his own pleasure, and his own pleasure came from inflicting pain and fear. There is no  
comparison — none." Her voice was resolute in its firm assertions.  
"But still — the fact that I’m physically identical –"  
"So far — hasn’t been a huge issue … with physical – closeness — you’ve seen how you  
affect me."  
"I just worry …" He trailed off, unable to say it.  
<<When we’re close. When we lie together — in a bed — and take off our clothes — when  
our bodies come in close and unhindered contact… what if that brings it all back for her?  
What if it’s inevitable. What if she can’t ever stop seeing him — when we try to get close?  
What if I lose her?>>  
"I know — it scares me too. Uh — guess that’s pretty obvious, right?" She laughed a little  
in self-deprecating embarrassment. " I guess that’s why I — I can’t just ask you to —  
make love to me tonight. I know that I might very well have a panic attack, and then — if  
you feel out of control –"  
"You don’t owe me any explanations… I agree. I need to learn how to control my  
responses to you."  
"Part of me is glad you aren’t in control. Kryptonians in that other world were so arrogant  
about how they were in such control  
of themselves, and how sloppy and out of control we puny little earthlings were."  
Clark winced. "Sounds pretty bigoted on their part"  
"By thinking of us in that way, they were able to justify not … not … caring about what  
they did to us."  
"I can’t imagine ever …" He stopped. He didn’t want to evoke bad memories.  
"You couldn’t. The man you are — the man you always have been — no matter what the  
circumstances of your life — you could never have been like him."  
"Thanks, Lois. I really … appreciate you saying that."  
"So – what would you have done if I couldn’t have gotten past the appearance thing? Past  
it enough to even be friends?"  
"Well, I guess I could have worn a disguise," he said, smiling at her as he made the lame  
joke. Her words sent cold chills down his spine — the thought of not having Lois in his life  
— ever… it was unthinkable.  
"I’m smarter than that," she said saucily. "Just because it worked in that other world. I  
mean — what would you do? Wear a hat? Hey — maybe next time you go into that other  
Lois’s universe, you can wear a hat. And then she won’t recognize you. And then, you can  
take the hat off, and say — Look! It’s just me!"  
He laughed and he pulled her into his arms, charmed by her silliness.  
"You really don’t like her, do you?"  
"Other-Lois?"  
"Yes. Why?"  
"I guess… she — you fell in love with her first. And — that hurts." Lois was serious once  
again as she aired out this old and long-standing wound in her heart.  
"I didn’t fall in love with her first. I fell in love with the idea of her. She wasn’t the one…  
but she was a close second, and that was closer than anyone else had ever come. Lois — I  
was lonely… and she made me feel like I could be part of something — that I could have a  
real home … a real family. That I could be me and still be… be loved."  
"Oh — Clark… that’s really — it makes me feel so awful about being so mean towards  
you."  
"You don’t need to — all hurts are healed now. I mean — anything I may have felt — any  
sadness or loneliness — it’s gone. You’ve made it all go away. And – I’ve said it before-  
your actions made a lot of sense. You weren’t trying to be malicious."  
"I don’t know. There were times when I had some strong doubts that I was doing the right  
thing — and yet I kept twisting the screw. I guess — I wanted to hurt him, and doing  
something that might hurt you felt like — uh — I guess… a close second."  
He tightened his arm in a comforting squeeze.  
"But about — Lois… if she were to come here and tell you that she loved you, and wanted  
you to be with her… she’s not all traumatized like I am — you could have a close  
relationship with her without all the baggage." Lois knew the answer, but she still needed  
to hear it. Her insecurities would take a long time to wither away.  
"You are the only one in my heart. And you always will be the only one in my heart."  
"Oh… Clark…"  
"Besides, she cut her hair really short, and I like yours better!"  
"Hey!!! So if I were to cut my hair…"  
"Well…"  
"Clark!"  
"I’m just kidding. You could shave your entire head and put tattoos all over it, and even  
though I’d be saddened to — what… what is it?"  
He stopped as he saw her grow pale. She stiffened a little, and he released her from his  
light embrace, sensing she needed some space.  
"I… I kind of have something — I want to tell you." Her voice sounded tense and scared,  
and she couldn’t look at him.  
"Anything. You can tell me anything." He was worried that her behavior was out of fear of  
making him angry. He didn’t yet know what she wanted to say.  
"I — I … I have a… brand," she said, flushing deep red. "Near the base of my neck."  
"I know," he said quietly.  
Startled, she looked up at him. "You… you know? I mean — how do you … you haven’t… I  
mean — you wouldn’t…"  
"No. I would never look through your clothes. You do not need to start lining them all with  
lead. I — I… saw it when you were asleep — uh — on the floor of my apartment. I — your  
shirt had slipped enough for me to see it — I wasn’t really looking — or … you know —  
ogling you — but… I — I saw it, and it was obviously  
not a birthmark."  
"It… it was an ownership mark," she whispered harshly, springing to her feet. She felt  
nervous and trapped as old memories started to crowd. She could still hear Kal-El’s voice  
in her head telling her that she was his.  
"I should have told you," his voice was contrite.  
<<God, does she feel violated now — knowing that I’d seen it??>>  
"No… no — you didn’t do anything wrong. You were waiting for me to talk about it. You  
guessed, and rightly so — that I wouldn’t want you to broach the subject."  
He shook his head. "Unthinkable. Unconscionable. To … to do that to another living  
being… a sentient and intelligent — being… a woman, no less… I mean — it defies all  
decency — all -… the man is clearly a monster of the highest order."  
"Yes. Yes, he is."  
"That had to have been terrifying and painful as hell."  
She looked directly at him.  
"He did it my first day there. I had no idea it was coming… and… after that… he — uh…"  
She trailed away.  
"If I ever can get Herb to agree to it, I want to go to that world and stop him from ever  
doing that to anyone again," he said fervently. "God — that’s so sick and horrifying. I’m  
sorry. Lois — I’m sorry — I should have been there, I should have known, and I should  
have stopped him. I wish more than anything that I could have stopped him."  
"You can’t go there," she said, her voice rising in passion. "It’s too dangerous. And then  
I’d feel compelled to go with you to watch over you, because — well — I know the lay of  
the land there… and then — I’d have to face him again — so promise me… we won’t ever  
go there!"  
He looked at her. "I don’t want to make that promise. I don’t ever want you going back  
there — but — "  
"Clark! You can’t ever go there. I forbid it. Okay? You don’t even have to promise. I forbid  
it."  
He was silent a moment, giving it some thought, and then his eyes met hers.  
"In that case, I guess there’s no point in talking about it. — if that’s your final word…."  
"Clark — please tell me that –"  
"If you forbid it, I won’t do it. I mean — you obviously feel very strongly about it –"  
"Don’t get all Kryptonian on me," she snapped, her cheeks flaming red. "Damn it. I love  
you, and I won’t let you kill yourself like that. I won’t let Lord Kal-El hurt me again — and  
if he killed you, he would be delivering one of his worst blows yet!"  
"I’m sorry," he said, full of compunction. "I didn’t mean to sound…"  
"I’m sorry. I can’t use your species as an epithet. That’s rude. And bigoted. I … I shouldn’t  
have said that."  
"I’m glad you did. I’m glad you can yell at me. Glad you can forbid me to do things…"  
"And yet, it’s inequitable. If you ever yelled at me or tried to forbid me to do something,  
I’d have a panic attack."  
She sat back down next to him as she said these words.  
"I rarely yell. And as far as forbidding… I’ll just pester you not to do things — I can be  
annoying when I give it a good try."  
She laughed. "I’ll have to see that in action."  
"I do want to put your fears about the other Lois to rest — or at least… as best as I can. I  
really don’t love her. I — guess… I — I should tell you this… I actually did kiss her… and  
— while it was a great kiss — it wasn’t that — kind of — wow… feeling — that I get with  
you. She isn’t my soul-mate, Lois. You are."  
"Hold on. Wait. You kissed her?"  
He looked at her, discomfort and guilt lurking in his expression.  
"Back in her world… we were looking for her Clark — Tempus had caused him to be lost  
in time. She despaired of ever finding him again. And — I guess I just… being near her,  
being in her world — seeing his parents, seeing their life — made me feel so lonely and …  
just so close to something that I would like to have as my life… that I kissed her."  
"What did she do?"  
"She kissed me back … and then, she stopped the kiss and made it very clear that it  
wasn’t ever going to happen again."  
"Oh… I’m … I’m sorry?"  
"No — I’m not. She was right. I stepped over the line and she was right to tell me off."  
"Your motivation wasn’t impure — I mean — you could easily lure women away from the  
men who love them– if you so desired…"  
"Still… but my point is that — I kissed her — and — it was nothing like kissing you."  
"Like with Kal-El…"  
He winced at that. "Not exactly. I mean — Lois wasn’t a monster…"  
"I know… but — even if Kal-El hadn’t been — evil — I probably would never have felt the  
attraction that I feel towards you."  
"When did you start feeling it?"  
"Well — I was drawn to you — almost right from the start… but I didn’t start feeling —  
anything that could be called an attraction until — well — I’m not sure. But — I guess…  
when you went off to stop the asteroid, I was fiercely jealous of Leyna — you both seemed  
to be flirting with each other."  
"Oh. Wow."  
"But I think even earlier than that… I was drawn to you. I was also still very scared — and  
confused — he kept rearing up in my mind — causing me to get all agitated. I’m sorry —  
for all the times I acted like that in front of you."  
"You have no need to apologize. I really mean it."  
"I guess it’s still all so confusing sometimes. Sometimes I see him instead of you, because  
of some kind of trigger… or other times — well – you seem more like him than you do at  
other times." She blushed in embarrassment as she tried explain.  
<<When you’re feeling desire. That’s when it seems most glaring. God — how awful a  
thing to say to him. I can’t say that.>>  
"Like before, when we were kissing?" He hadn’t read her mind, but he could read her face.  
"Yeah," she said, looking away.  
"Is there anything I can do about that? I don’t want you to have to see … what you saw in  
his eyes, or expression — or –" His voice and expression were anxious.  
"No! This isn’t your fault — it’s just — I’m still getting used to seeing you like that. It’s  
good to feel that way, Clark. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, and under ideal  
circumstances, I would certainly want to see you like that."  
"But … it scares me a bit, Lois. You — I feel — so … good… with you — it’s like I’m — just  
— lost in it. And that scares me." His voice was hesitant as he made this admission which  
could potentially frighten the heck out of her.  
"The control thing?"  
"I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to be Kryptonian — whatever that means. I don’t  
know what that means, and I’m not trying to set myself apart from humanity — but… I  
mean — and I hate saying this… but — my powers give me an added… burden?  
Responsibility? I can’t lose control — I can’t risk hurting people… you know? Simple  
things that people can do — like — slamming their fist into the couch when they see their  
team losing in an important game… I can’t do stuff like that. I have to worry about that  
stuff. And — with… physical intimacy — it’s even more important – to keep control."  
"But physical intimacy is sometimes about losing control. About immersing yourself in  
those feelings."  
"It can’t be. Not for me."  
"Clark — you can’t hold yourself to an impossible standard. Is this… another reason, why  
you’ve waited?"  
He looked down, unable to meet her gaze.  
"Look — Clark… you know … that I’m still here. Alive. And… not overly harmed in any way  
that you can see… I’ve had broken bones, but — never by accident. You know?"  
He winced and squeezed his eyes shut against the image her words evoked.  
"Oh god," he groaned.  
"I’m not trying to hurt you — I just wanted you to — think about the implications — if it  
gives you any kind of comfort — to know that…"  
"Comfort –"  
"No. I realize. No comfort in knowing that I was abused like that," she said. "I know that…  
but –"  
He looked directly at her, and then reached up a cautious hand to stroke her hair.  
"I love you, Lois –for telling me that — with the intent of making me feel better. I love  
you."  
"Does it help?"  
He winced again. "I hate to …"  
"It’s okay if it does." Her voice was hasty as she sought to reassure him.  
"Well — it had kind of occurred to me…"  
"I figured — you had to have thought about it."  
"But… what if –" He stopped, appalled that he was even going to ask.  
"What if — what?"  
"Is it okay — I mean… if I ask you something about that world?"  
"Clark, you can ask. Go ahead. I can’t guarantee it won’t upset me, but I won’t be angry  
about it — and it’s okay."  
She waited, feeling a surge of nervous anticipation. What was he going to ask?  
"Well… I … I mean — maybe the first — few times… anyone there — I mean — maybe they  
hurt people — or killed them… until they … learned how to — not…"  
"Oh, Clark- is that what you’re worried about?"  
"It’s hard not to be," he mumbled, looking down. "I mean — I was pretty confident that I  
could handle this — that I could always stop when you asked, and then — after just a few  
moments of kissing, I’m acting like a crazed animal… it’s not — what I expected and it is  
scary."  
"You weren’t anything like a crazed animal. If you were… then I was too. But… Clark —  
what about that other Clark? And Lois?"  
"I don’t know — I never asked — but they weren’t married, and… so – if he’s like me, I’m  
guessing –"  
"Yeah… but eventually, didn’t they help form a utopian-like society? Didn’t their  
descendants help form this society? That implies that … she survived, and — likely  
enjoyed their encounters together."  
"I… I never thought of that," he said, still uncomfortable about the line of conversation. "I  
guess you’ve got a good point there."  
"It’ll all work out," she said, trying to give him more assurance than what she personally  
felt. She really wasn’t worried that Clark would accidentally hurt her — but she was afraid  
that he might not even know she needed him to stop — and might unwittingly hurt her by  
pushing her into intimacy when she was gripped with fears and memories from her past.  
She couldn’t bear if that ever happened — in addition to adding to her physical and  
emotional trauma, it would destroy their relationship. And that was unbearable to  
contemplate.  
"Thanks, Lois."  
"So… tomorrow night? What are you doing? Want to get together?"  
"I … actually… I have a date. Uh… you know — with Carissa."  
"Tomorrow? So… so soon," she trailed off, feeling threatened again by Carissa. Her  
expression was stricken as her insecurities once again swamped her.  
<<Tomorrow? Maybe — maybe I should ask him to stay — give him a reason to want to  
stay with me — maybe — I should — >>  
"Lois –I want to get it over with." His voice intruded on her wild thoughts.  
"Yeah, I understand," she croaked out unconvincingly.  
"Are you … is it okay?"  
"It has to be," she whispered. "But — it makes me feel really badly — you’ll be with her …  
tomorrow night. I –"  
"Lois. It won’t be a real date. I have zero interest in her."  
"I know," she said in a small voice.  
<<I can’t help feeling like I’m part of his harem.>>  
"Lois…"  
"I hate feeling diminished. Like — I’m nothing."  
"And this makes you feel that way?" His voice was filled with appalled horror.  
"I know it shouldn’t… but –"  
"I never want you feeling that way — not because of something I’ve done. What should I  
do — I don’t want to make you feel those feelings."  
His lack of composure gave her strength.  
"Go on the date," she said firmly. "But you could send a few telepathic thoughts my way —  
it might help me feel like I’m on your mind."  
"But wouldn’t that be…well — like something that he would have done?"  
"He did use telepathy — I know I’ve told you that… but — it — it would make me feel  
better if you did… regardless."  
"Well… then — I’ll do it."  
"Just… don’t have a good time. Okay?"  
"I promise — I won’t," he said, smiling at her.  
She nodded and gave him a tight smile. He did not fail to notice that the smile didn’t  
reach her eyes.  
"Lois- I should go. You have to at least get some sleep…"  
"As if. But — okay. It’s a good idea."  
"I love you."  
"I love you too."  
She leaned forward and kissed him — a brief clinging of her mouth to his, and then she  
drew back. She was leery about starting both of them on a passion spiral again. No sense  
in being a tease.  
He sensed her apprehension and responded only at the level of the kiss she was offering.  
He stood up and moved towards her balcony doors.  
"Fly safe," she said softly.  
He quickly spun into his flying clothes, and then looked at her to gauge her reaction,  
always fearing that he was scaring her.  
She looked lost and lonely as she stood there, watching him with a wistful look in her  
tired eyes. Before he was even aware of what he was doing, he found himself closing the  
distance between them.  
Her eyes widened as he walked so resolutely towards her and her heart caught in her  
throat.  
Before she knew what was going on, his arm was wrapping around her and he was pulling  
her close. He kissed her with a passion that seemed to match their earlier kisses, and she  
felt lost at the hard and sensual pressure.  
He ended the kiss reluctantly, and then lifted his head. His voice was slightly ragged as he  
spoke to her.  
"I love you. Fervently and feverishly. I won’t be able to stop thinking about you until we  
see each other again — and I’m hoping beyond hope that you’ll agree to see me Sunday."  
"Su- Sunday’s good," she gasped out, caught up once again in his spell.  
"Your place, or mine?" His voice was sensual, laced with an edge of gentle teasing.  
"Uh…"  
"How about — I come and get you, and we go to my place. More privacy," he murmured,  
as he leaned down to kiss her again. "And I like knowing that nobody can hear us when  
we do this…"  
He kissed her again.  
"Or this…"  
He touched his lips to her neck again, causing her to arch against him and cry out softly.  
"Are… are we going to be … doing all this?" Her voice was a mere gasp as she felt the  
effects of his touch.  
"God, I hope so."  
The very sensual and fervent note in his voice made her shiver with the combination of  
her very high-voltage feelings. He was being more assertive now in his expression of  
passion — just as she had asked him to be, and she felt a thrill of desire coupled with its  
ever present companion — apprehension. The fact that he was acting this way dressed as  
Superman added an edge to her apprehension, but she was glad he felt he could do that.  
They had made a lot of progress in a very short span of time.  
She knew one thing — she wasn’t going to be thinking of anything but Sunday — so it had  
better come soon.  
She slept fretfully, and woke up feeling as if she hadn’t slept at all.  
She saw her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her teeth.  
<<I look 10 years older.>>  
She felt horrible, a sense of dread had wormed its way into her heart and she wanted to  
cry.  
<<I could lose him. I could still lose him.>>  
She had a deep sense of foreboding — like something horrible was about to happen.  
Something horrible was about to happen. The man she loved was about to go on a date  
with a woman whose beauty was legendary.  
<<He loves me.>>  
<<Yeah. Keep telling yourself that. >>  
She sighed, and wondered how she was going to survive the day.  
<<Shopping. I’m going shopping.>>  
Lois turned to the age old ritual that had been making women feel better for years and  
years. She and Lucy headed out to their favorite stores and spent far more money than  
they ever should have. Lois stayed far away from radios and TV sets, not wanting to hear  
anything about Carissa, Clark, and their date.  
When she returned home she was shocked to find a beautiful bunch of flowers waiting for  
her. At first, her skin pricked uneasily. Lex? But then, she looked at the card, and saw his  
unmistakable handwriting. Clark! It had been Clark. He had done this, had left her this  
wonderful homage of love.  
The note was short and sweet.  
<<I miss you already. Sunday can’t come soon enough. I love you. Clark.>>  
She felt a warm flush go through her body at the thought of Sunday. She should have  
been focusing on that — on the fact that Sunday, she would be able to resume what they  
had been doing last night on her couch. Her face burned as she turned to the couch and  
tried to remember what it felt like to be in his arms. When he had swept her up like that  
to kiss her — she felt so cherished , loved and wanted. It had been exciting, frightening  
and sensual. All those heady feelings all rolled together — and she had been happy.  
She remembered how his lips had felt on hers, and the wonderful exciting sensual thrill of  
having his arm curved around her back, urging her close. She remembered his urgent  
passion, and how he had never let it get away from him — how even at the mercy of deep  
and primal feelings, he had restrained himself from doing anything that he thought might  
hurt or frighten her.  
She loved him. She had been fighting it for so long, but now, it seemed as if she had  
always loved him. She remembered how he looked at her that day he had stopped the  
truck from killing her. He had been so worried, and so … she saw it now — so hurt by her  
fear of him. Hurt, but not offended. Her fear of him had been like a physical blow, but he  
had understood its cause and never resented her for it. She knew now that her articles  
must have been dreadful for him… that he must have endured a lot as a result of them —  
that people had actually started to question his motives more, and feared him more. And  
she had felt so triumphant at her success. She had felt like she had won against her  
enemy — a small battle, but still — a victory.  
And now she felt wracked with the pain of having hurt him like that. This man, this  
innocent person who would die before hurting someone like that — she had accused him  
of having such vile intentions towards Earth and humanity.  
She remembered how he had saved her from Lex’s unwanted advances, and how careful  
he had been about her feelings. She was sure he had been furious, and yet — he had  
tempered it, had tamped it all down, so as not to make the situation worse for her. And  
he had offered her up a safe alternative to flying with him — he had suggested she let  
Lex’s driver take her home and had let her know that he would be there in a heartbeat if  
she had needed him.  
And then, she remembered how he had tried to offer her the briefcase. That briefcase  
which contained all the fruits of such hard and desperate labor… and he had offered what  
he knew at her feet, more valuable than all the jewels in the world, and she had thrown it  
back in his face… having a huge panic attack, and slamming the door in his face. She  
cringed as she remembered that, trying hard not to visualize the stricken expression that  
he must have wore as she flung the door shut in his face.  
And then she remembered the whole asteroid ordeal. He must have felt terrible after his  
memory returned. She cringed at the memory, remembering his apologies and how much  
remorse she had seen in his eyes.  
<<He’s been apologizing since he met me. And he has no reason to ever apologize to  
me. It’s all me- I’m the one who owes everything. I can’t believe he loves me.>>  
As she thought of him, she felt a warm presence in her mind, so different from Lord Kal-  
El. His presence left her filled with a sense of rightness. He wasn’t trying to invade or  
probe at her thoughts, he just wanted to tell her he was there, and thinking of her.  
***Lois.  
***Clark?  
***I love you. I miss you. I wish more than anything it was you here with me, instead of  
her.  
***I’m sure she’s great company.  
He let her feel some of the boredom and frustration he was feeling at having to listen to  
Carissa talk. She giggled as he did so.  
***Just look at her pretty face, and try not to listen to what she’s saying.  
***I’d rather think of your pretty face. And your pretty body. And those amazing kisses of  
yours. And how incredibly soft and smooth your skin is.  
His thoughts, right in her head, filled her with an immediate sense of arousal.  
***Stop! This is killing me!  
Immediately, she sensed contrition.  
***No! I didn’t mean to make you feel bad! I didn’t mean literally. Our link isn’t hurting  
me. I just miss you so much.  
Suddenly she felt a break in their communication. It was stark, sudden and harsh, and she  
felt a jolt of pain. She winced and clutched her head. God! What was that?  
***Clark! She called out to him. What happened? Are you okay? Answer me!!  
There was no answer to her plea, and her sense of unease started to increase.  
***Clark!!!  
But there was no answer.  
Feverishly, she ran to the phone and dialed his cell phone.  
But there was no answer.  
Something had happened to him.  
She couldn’t exactly call the police — and tell them… tell them what? That her mental link  
with Clark had broken? They wouldn’t believe her — why should they believe her? What  
should she do? She was torn and trapped.  
She kept dialing his number, but he never answered, and with a heavy heart and mind,  
she finally fell asleep after leaving a message on his home phone.  
The next day, she woke up feeling heavy and worried. After a few short seconds, she  
remembered: She had no idea where Clark was, or if he was even okay.  
<<God. Please let him be okay.>>  
She called Perry on the phone, and decided to share her fears with him.  
"Lois — good to hear from you!"  
"Listen — Perry… I — this isn’t a social call. It’s about Clark — I — I think something’s  
happened to him."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I can’t reach him… he — he’s vanished," her voice was filled with tight worry.  
"Darlin — just turn on the television. He’s fine."  
She rushed to the TV, and turned it to the all-day news channel. Live action crews were  
filming a post-rescue interview with the very man she was worrying about.  
She breathed out a huge sigh of relief.  
"Oh god… Oh… thank god…"  
"Lois — why did you think he was missing?"  
"He… he wasn’t answering his cell phone," she said, not wanting to go into the whole  
telepathy thing.  
"Uh… well — you do know that he went on that charity date. With Carissa." He cleared his  
throat uncomfortably. "Uh – maybe he just turned it off."  
"Perry. He wouldn’t do that. He — he and I… we aren’t really public with it — but — we’re  
kind of… together."  
"That’s great news!" His voice was enthusiastic. "Wow! Can I tell Alice?"  
"Only Alice. It’s not out yet. Okay?"  
"This is great," he said, his voice showing his excitement clearly. "We had hoped… I knew  
the boy had it bad for you — but — I didn’t think he ever stood a chance!"  
"I know. I know. But… I fell in love with him, despite myself," she said, feeling good about  
being able to talk to Perry about this. "But — I’m still… I mean — I still think something  
strange happened last night."  
"Now, Lois — I don’t think he would ever betray your trust — whatever it is that you’re  
thinking –"  
"No. I don’t’ think he would either. Hey — I know he wouldn’t. But… I — I have a bad  
feeling about this. I need to see him — I … I — need to make sure that he really is okay."  
She called his number again. No answer.  
<<Is his phone broken?>>  
She saw him interacting with the news crew and felt a slight twinge of unease. Something  
about him seemed off to her, and she was loathe to call him now to meet her here.  
Something told her not to do it.  
She still needed to see him, so she drove to the scene of the Superman sighting but he  
was no longer there.  
Frustrated, she stood helplessly by her car, and her eyes caught sight of the alley where  
he had landed with her when he had brought her to work.  
She moved down into the alley feeling very nervous about her surroundings. But at least if  
she called him here, they wouldn’t attract a host of attention. She was about to call out for  
him, when she felt herself roughly pushed from behind.  
She landed on the ground, hitting her head on the pavement. Stars swam before her eyes  
and she fought to regain her sense of control. Instinctively, she shifted around, so that  
her leg was raised in a position to give a killer side-lying kick to anyone stupid enough to  
approach her.  
"Give me your bag, Lady," she heard a rough male voice say. "I just need your bag — I  
don’t want any trouble!"  
She didn’t see a gun, and not wanting to lose her keys and credit cards, she hollered out a  
desperate call: "Help! Superman!"  
In a gust of wind, he was there.  
He landed, and saw the boy still standing over her as she lay on the ground. He picked the  
kid up and flung him brutally against one of the alley walls. The kid crumpled to the  
ground and didn’t move to get up. He didn’t move at all.  
Lois watched in shock. Clark was never that rough.  
He had just thrown that mugger. Thrown him so hard.  
The kid wasn’t even moving.  
She looked up at Clark from her position on the ground and saw that he wasn’t even  
looking at her. He was still looking over at where the kid lay, seemingly gloating over his  
actions. There was a slight smile of satisfaction on his face — a smile which seemed so  
starkly out of place with the man she knew.  
She felt a shiver of fear and wanted to slink away from this man — slink away unnoticed  
before his attentions turned towards her.  
<<Clark wouldn’t hurt me.>>  
She reminded herself of this fact as fear started to clench around her heart.  
"Clark?" Her voice was small as she painfully stood up, feeling like she needed to be on  
her feet before facing him.  
<<Why do I feel so threatened all of a sudden? Is it because I’ve never really see him deal  
with a criminal before? Is this how he normally does things, and I just never noticed?>>  
He turned to look at her, and her eyes widened as he actually looked her up and down, as  
if … as if — ogling her. He gave her his full attention, smiling widely.  
"Hey," he said, his voice sounding deliberately seductive.  
She stepped back a half step, uncertain in the face of his strange behavior.  
<<He looks so much like Kal-El now. Where’s the warmth I usually see? What’s going on  
with him?>>  
"Clark?" She asked the question again, fearing for a brief moment that somehow he had  
switched places with Kal-El. But if this were Kal, why would he be pretending to be  
Superman?  
"Yeah, baby. What’s up?"  
By now, he had recognized her as Lois Lane. His ‘father’ had mentioned that there was a  
possibility that Lois Lane was having some kind of close relationship with the other  
Superman. And if the other Superman had a thing going on with Lois Lane, that meant  
that *he* had a thing going on with Lois Lane. He smiled a little wider. She was hot.  
"Uh… is — is everything okay?"  
"Sure — why wouldn’t it be?"  
"You.. you threw him– so… violently. It’s not like you."  
He looked and saw reporters descending. He didn’t want to talk to reporters. He only  
wanted to talk to her. He wanted to kiss her too. He wanted to do more than kiss her. He  
felt his body tighten in response, and knew what he had to do.  
"Come on, baby. Let’s make this a private party."  
He stepped into her space, and snaked an arm around her waist. Tightening his grip, he  
lifted up into the sky.  
She gasped in shock at his aggressive actions, and had to fight back the very real panic  
that was attacking her sense of composure.  
"Clark," her voice was scared. "Please — please… what’s going on? You’re… you’re scaring  
me."  
"Hey. Have I ever dropped you? Don’t worry…"  
He flew them back to Clark’s apartment and set her on her feet.  
As soon as he released her, she stepped away, stumbling a little as she sought to regain  
her balance.  
She stood staring at him, not knowing what to think. Sure, they had planned on getting  
together, and they were going to get together at his place, and he had even offered her a  
ride there. But… he hadn’t even asked her for her permission, and he didn’t seem at all  
fazed by her declaration of fear as they were flying.  
Something very strange was going on.  
He saw the fear in her eyes and realized he’d acted a little out of character.  
"Sorry, sweetheart. But the press were coming and I didn’t want anyone stealing your  
story."  
She blinked at that. Such behavior seemed too unethical for him — giving her an exclusive  
like that — taking her away so he could do it. Furthering her career with his powers.  
"Oh…" Her voice faltered as she tried to believe him. "I — I — I guess… thank you?"  
"That guy had it coming." he said, carelessly. "I — I may have forgotten myself a bit — but  
you know — might is right, and after all — he was harassing my girl."  
"Might is…"  
His words made no sense to her at all, from his declaration of his new motto, to his usage  
of the words ‘my girl’. Surely he would be loathe to call her that, fearing that she might  
flash back to her days as a slave.  
"Right… look, Lois — how often to I have to do this kind of thing? Every day, right?  
Nobody ever learns from it. You would think — eventually — people would figure out  
there’s no point in doing stuff like this — not in my city at least…"  
<<His city?>>  
"A little — strong show of force, and that will discourage future perpetrators. Maybe I  
violate a few civil rights here and there, but in the end — it’s the results that count. The  
ends do justify the means."  
She narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "This — doesn’t sound like you."  
"Come on, baby," he said, mesmerized by how much she was making him want her. She  
was so beautiful — and he was having trouble keeping up his act in the face of how she  
was making him feel. He wanted her. "Come on. Let’s not fight."  
He walked over to her and she had to fight from stepping back. She searched his face,  
trying desperately to find one spark of Clark in his expression. Something … anything…  
to tell her that she was crazy for thinking that this wasn’t Clark.  
<<God — who the hell is this?>>  
He gripped her shoulders, and she tensed up.  
<<No. No — don’t kiss me!>>  
He lowered his head and crushed his lips down on hers as he simultaneously pulled her  
close in against his body. Immediately she felt her fear and panic reflexes kick in.  
<<This isn’t Clark! Clark does not kiss like this. Where is Clark? Who is this?>>  
Her heart was beating rapidly in sheer terror and she pushed at him frantically, unable to  
even pretend to enjoy his kisses.  
He stepped back and looked at her, anger clearly etched into his features.  
<<No. Definitely not Clark! >>  
She felt dread take a hold of her heart.  
"What’s wrong now," he asked her in a deadly voice.  
"I –I — I don’t have — I have to be somewhere — and… I have to be there — uh – now."  
Her voice and manner were pleading, and she hated herself for it.  
"No problem. We can make this quick," he murmured, leaning in again to kiss her.  
She backed away, and he had to fight every instinct to grip her arms harder and pull her  
in.  
<<How dare she back away from me. >>  
He calmed those angry thoughts, not wanting her to know he wasn’t Clark.  
"Please," she begged, feeling very close to tears. "I can’t. Not now. But later! I mean — we  
did have a date tonight — right…? Why spoil tonight — let’s just — let’s just wait. Okay?"  
She hadn’t meant to tell him about her date, but she needed to mollify him with  
something.  
"Okay," he said, clearly irritated. "But don’t play games with me, Lois. I don’ t like it. I’ll  
take you back."  
"No! Because… because — you know… You didn’t want people to know about us just yet  
— and if you take me back — it might start people talking…"  
"Oh… Oh — yeah. Right… okay."  
"I’ll be fine on my own. Really."  
"If you say so."  
He pulled her in again, and kissed her, forcing his tongue into her mouth in an overtly  
passionate maneuver.  
Instead of thrilling her, it sickened her. She forced herself to respond, and when it was  
over she had to fight the urge to wipe her mouth in disgust.  
"I’ll see you tonight," he said. "Wear something sexy."  
His words sounded like and order, and she shuddered.  
<<Not Kal-El. But someone a lot like Kal-El. What’s going on?>>  
As soon as she got out of his apartment, she ran a few blocks, trying to run some of the  
fear out of her body. She was trembling violently at her close call and trying very hard not  
to succumb to the lure of tears. The man she loved was gone. Someone had put this …  
this… changeling in his place. It was right out of some kind of horrible dream.  
<<God. Could Tempus have done this?>>  
She took a cab back to her car and then drove home. Once home, she paced nervously,  
trying to figure out what her next move should be. She had to figure out what was going  
on, and she needed help. Problem was, she needed help from someone who could help  
her stand up to this imposter. And that person was Clark. And he didn’t seem to be  
anywhere.  
She continued calling out to him in her mind, but she heard no response. For all she  
knew, he was dead. The thought gripped her with pain and horror, and she found herself  
overcome by the grief of his loss. No.  
<<I can’t lose it now. I have to hang on. I can do this, because I’m strong. >>  
She knew she only had a few hours before the imposter would come looking for her,  
expecting her to be willing and compliant to his physical demands.  
<<I have to find Clark before tonight!>>  
She jumped in shock as she heard a knock on her door.  
<<Oh god!>>  
She quietly made her way to the door, and peered fearfully out the peephole.  
<<Wells!! It’s Wells!! Oh god! Maybe he can help. Maybe he knows what happened. Maybe  
Tempus did do something. Maybe it will be okay!>>  
She flung open the door, full of relief and haste.  
"Oh … my god — you have no idea how glad I am to see you."  
Herb surveyed the woman nervously, remembering clearly how angry and frightened she  
had been when he last saw her. He knew she could be dangerous if she was cornered, and  
he wasn’t sure whether or not she would welcome seeing him.  
"Miss Lane… I need your help."  
"Yes. Come in! Please!"  
She resisted the urge to pull him in, and instead waited nervously as he walked in at his  
own pace. As soon as he was in, she urgently shut the door and locked all the locks.  
"Mister Wells…"  
"Herbert. Please. Or Herb."  
"Herb… oh god…"  
She broke down and started crying, and he stood there, feeling completely inadequate to  
the task at hand — offering up comfort to this woman who had been through so much. He  
remembered how she had cried when he had told her that she was home, and then, had  
broken the news about Clark being in this world. It hurt to see her cry.  
"Is … Is Clark …. I’m sorry to — come to you with this… but is — is –he… is he all right? I  
— sensed a dimming of his life force and became quite… quite alarmed. I couldn’t find  
him, and so… I thought — maybe you might know what happened."  
She shook her head wildly.  
"He’s not all right. I mean — I don’ t know what’s happened to him — or where he is —  
but he’s not all right. There’s… there’s someone who claims to be Clark — going about as  
Superman, and stopping crime — but it’s not Clark. I know it’s not Clark, and I have no  
idea who it is. He’s not as … good as Clark, either. He seems… he seems dangerous… not  
quite like Lord Kal-El — but not benign either. I need your help. Could Clark have gone  
into another universe?"  
Herb shook his head worriedly. "I don’t think so."  
He pulled a device out of his pocket, and fiddled with it. After a few long moments looked  
at her, worriedly.  
"He’s here. But… his life force is weakened. I don’t know where he is. He is alive though."  
She looked at him with haunted eyes. "Please — you have to help us. Help him. Please — I  
— I can’t…"  
<<I can’t lose him. I can’t live without him.>> Wells looked at her in frank amazement.  
When last he left this universe, he was certain that the two would never even be able to be  
friends, but from the looks of things, it had gone far beyond friendship. A testament to  
the power of love, he imagined.  
"I … I think I can get help. Hold on — I … I think this will work."  
He activated a different small handheld device, and suddenly, right before their eyes, a  
man and woman appeared in front of them. They both turned and looked at Herb with  
deep irritation.  
Lois gasped in horror, terrified beyond belief.  
<<Lord Kal-El! >>  
<<Why did Herb call him here? >>  
Lois staggered back, as if struck. She stood frozen for a brief moment, and then rushed to  
the door, desperately trying to unlock the locks. Her fingers were shaking so hard that  
she couldn’t get them undone.  
"Wait!! Miss Lane! He isn’t who you think!"  
"I won’t! I won’t go back! I won’t!" She was crying now, in sheer panic.  
<<Why can’t I open these damned locks!>>  
"This isn’t Lord Kal-El! This is Clark Kent and Lois Lane from that other world … this is the  
Lois who was brought here by Tempus — who encouraged Clark — this universe’s Clark  
to become superman! Please!! Please – don’t leave!"  
Her hand was frozen on the locks as she heard his words.  
Very fearfully, she looked over at the woman, seeing her clearly for the first time. The  
woman had short hair, but was otherwise her identical twin.  
"You’re… you’re — the one? H-he’s not…"  
"I don’t know who you think he is," said Lois carefully, recognizing the woman’s blind  
state of panic. "But his name is Clark Kent, and he’s… not a threat. You have nothing to  
fear from us."  
She turned frightened eyes to this man, this imposing and frightening man who wore the  
clothes she had last seen on Lord Kal-El. Black, with a blue emblem. She felt herself  
trembling out of control as she made forbidden eye contact.  
<<If this is Lord Kal-El, he’ll kill me. But maybe that’s the best alternative. Oh god. He  
looks like Lord Kal-El!>>  
Clark eyed her warily. Her reaction had shocked him to the core. Why was she so scared?  
"I won’t hurt you," he said, repeating Lois’s assertions. "Why…if you don’t mind my  
asking… did you think I would?"  
A horrible thought struck him, and he looked at Herb.  
"Is … is Clark… is he… does he hurt people?"  
"No! No — oh…n-no," stammered Herb, nonplussed by Clark’s appearance. "I… Um… he’s  
… he’s a good man."  
"I didn’t think he could have — but… the way — Lois reacted… it’s –"  
"I’m sorry," muttered Lois hastily. "I guess I –" She broke off, still frightened by his  
appearance. "I’m sorry. You… I have trouble talking to you — dressed like that."  
"Why? Why does this bother you?"  
"I suppose you know that I was presumed dead in this world," she began nervously.  
"Right… when I was brought here, everyone said that," said the other Lois.  
"Well — I … just like you — Tempus abducted me and dropped me in another universe. I’d  
never even met Clark."  
"Where did he take you?"  
"Another … Earth. But this one was overrun by – " she looked over at Clark nervously. "Uh  
— your people."  
"You were taken to an Earth that had been taken over by Kryptonians?" Clark was aghast.  
She bowed her head, nodding slightly in acknowledgement.  
"And… my counterpart was a part of this invasion?" Clark was beginning to feel very ill at  
where his thoughts were going.  
She nodded, still unable to look at him for long.  
"He dressed like this?" He said, quietly, looking over at his Lois. She put her hand on his  
arm for comfort.  
"Yeah," muttered Lois.  
"And… I take it he wasn’t a nice person," asked the other Lois.  
"Not by any definition of nice that I know," interjected Herb. "Why – he enslaved Miss Lane,  
and he –"  
"Herb. Please!" Her voice was pleading as she implored him to stop talking.  
"Oh. Yes. Quite. I’m sorry. Sorry about that."  
The other Lois looked at her counterpart in worried silence, and then she turned to look at  
Clark, her expression troubled. He returned her look, and then returned his attention to  
her doppelganger.  
"I’m sorry," he said, feeling hugely inadequate.  
"It’s not your fault," she said quietly.  
"But — my appearance — my clothes… it’s upsetting you. And understandably so."  
"Clark, why don’t you change into something of Clark’s. He won’t mind."  
Lois looked over at her double feeling a quick surge of resentment.  
<<How do you know what he would or wouldn’t mind. >>  
The resentment died quickly as she realized her double was just trying to help.  
"He wouldn’t mind," she said quietly.  
"Sorry for being presumptuous," the other Lois said, embarrassed now by her words.  
"No. You were trying to help."  
"Uh… I’ll be right back."  
Clark zipped over to his double’s apartment, and quickly changed. He was back out in a  
matter of seconds.  
He looked so much like her Clark that tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh… not good? I’m sorry  
— I –" Clark saw her tears, and felt like a heel for making her cry.  
"No. No — you just… look like Clark."  
"Is… is he okay?"  
Lois looked helplessly at them, and then she started in with her  
tale.  
"He’s missing! Last night, he was on a charity date… and we were talking telepathically.  
He was bored," she said, smiling at the memory. "And then… nothing. Our connection was  
terminated … painfully."  
"Painfully?"  
"Searing headache."  
"Oh … ouch," said the other Lois sympathetically.  
"Then today — I was mugged in an alley — and –"  
"Are you okay?" Clark’s concern was urgent, and she was once again reminded of her  
Clark.  
She looked at him and gave him a brief grateful smile for his concern.  
"I am. I wasn’t hurt. Just scared… and when I didn’t see a weapon, I thought I’d take my  
chances and call for Clark. I know it sounds stupid — but at the time I didn’t want to be  
without my keys, my … everything…"  
"I hear you loud and clear," her doppelganger said fervently. "It can be a huge hassle to  
get all that stuff replaced."  
"But — the risk to your life," protested Clark. "It’s not worth it — he could have –"  
"Clark," the other Lois said, gently admonishing him. "No lectures. Okay?"  
"Okay. Sorry."  
"It’s okay. I’m betting my Clark would have felt the same — only he probably wouldn’t  
have said anything for fear of upsetting me."  
Clark looked at his Lois puzzled, and she shrugged her shoulders.  
"Anyway," she continued hastily, well aware that they were trying to figure her out,  
"Superman came when I called for help."  
"So he’s okay?"  
"It wasn’t him! I know this sounds nuts… but — he looked like Clark, but it was obviously  
not him."  
"How did you come to that conclusion?"  
"The way he acted… he was brutal with the mugger — hurled him against the alley wall —  
with really hard force — for all I know, the guy’s dead now. The … imposter… seemed  
amused. You… you wouldn’t …do that…would you?"  
"Never."  
"I — I didn’t think so. I’ve never actually seen Clark stop a criminal like that, but — it was  
way out of character. And when he turned to me, he wasn’t — he was… leering… and —  
he just picked me up and flew me to Clark’s apartment. And then — he was really  
different… strange… said strange things, things that were totally un-Clark-like… and  
then… he kind of …" She stopped and shook her head, wincing with disgust. "He was all  
over me… I was lucky to get out — without…" She trailed off, unable to complete the  
sentence.  
"Did he by any chance tell you that ‘might is right’?"  
She looked at her double in amazement.  
"Yes!"  
"Luthor’s in this universe, right?"  
"Yes."  
"Luthor must have cloned him," Clark said, turning to the other Lois.  
"Great. That guy again."  
"Well — he didn’t end up being such a bad guy after all," said Clark wistfully.  
"Clark — he got fresh with me, *and* he kidnapped me and used me as bait."  
"He said he was sorry," Clark said in a small voice. "But you’re right…"  
"So Lex cloned you, and the clone was a little dangerous?"  
"He was childlike… and aggressive, but he kind of grew out of it. In the end, he did help  
stop Luthor."  
"This one seemed to get a kick out of the fact that he had hurt the mugger, and — he  
seemed to be enjoying my fear of him. I don’t think he’s going to turn out so good. He  
was really menacing." She shuddered.  
"Oh god. This isn’t looking good," said the other Lois. "Looks like Luthor has managed to  
incapacitate Clark and replace him with his clone."  
"Clark is still alive," offered up Herb. "I brought you two here in hopes you would help  
Lois."  
"Is this okay with you," Clark asked his Lois.  
"Of course! We have to help."  
"Will we be able to go back at the same time that we disappeared," he asked Herb  
anxiously. "The… uh… some of the Kryptonians are holding my parents hostage," he said,  
worriedly. "If I disappear, they might kill them, thinking I’ve run away."  
"Of course, of course… don’t worry. I’ll get you back in time."  
"Your parents are being held hostage by Kryptonians," Lois asked in horror.  
"Yeah," he said, expelling a worried sigh. "They are using them to try to get me to agree  
to charges of treason. It’s a long story," he said. "One that probably can wait until we’ve  
rescued Clark."  
"Okay… and then — maybe I’ll share my story too," she said uncomfortably. "I’m sure  
you’re wondering …"  
"Only if you want to," he said. "Please don’t do anything that causes you more pain."  
"Thanks… but what’s causing me pain right now, is that the man I love could be dying…  
afraid, and probably suffering. I can’t bear the thought. We have to find him!"  
"We will."  
She looked at them, a worried expression on her face.  
"So… what do we do about the clone? He thinks we have a date!"  
"Why does he –"  
"I had to tell him that to get him to let me go. He was all set to… to…" She grimaced. "He  
was all over me… and I had to fend him off — so I reminded him of our date… the one I  
had planned with Clark. He ought to be here around seven, so that doesn’t really give us a  
lot of time." She shuddered as a shiver of dread shot through her.  
"We’re here," said Clark, trying to offer up some comfort. "We aren’t leaving, and we will  
protect you." His voice was resolute.  
"Lois? You said that Clark was on a charity date?" The other Lois was in investigative-  
mode.  
"Yes. A super-model named Carissa. She’s been kind of hounding him."  
"Maybe she was an accessory to Clark’s abduction."  
"I wouldn’t be surprised," said Lois. "Clark had mentioned that she made him  
uncomfortable. I thought he was trying to make me feel better… I should have listened."  
"How about I try to contact him telepathically?"  
"I’ve tried — and to no avail," said Lois.  
"Do you mind if I try?" His expression was apologetic. "Maybe my being Kryptonian will …"  
"Oh — right — right… " She shook her head. "Of course."  
He closed his eyes and concentrated. After a few moments, he opened his eyes, and  
looked troubled.  
"Anything?"  
"Um… I think… just a memory," his face flushed a little in embarrassment. "Uh… he’s… I  
think a memory of him lying in your … uh — bed. If your bedroom is anything like Lois’s,  
that is…"  
"He’s never been in my bed," she said, turning pink. "He’s been in my room — but… is the  
vantage point really from a lying down position?"  
"Yes."  
"He’s never been in my bed. But… Luthor had my apartment duplicated in his … he had  
this creepy — he called it the ark — an asteroid was going to hit the Earth, and he had  
this thing built so that he would survive the impact. He…"  
"He did that in our world too," said Lois. "Ugh, and to think I was actually flattered."  
"You were flattered?" Her voice was incredulous.  
"You weren’t, I take it?"  
"Menaced, is a better word. Lex scares me badly."  
"With good reason," sighed the other Lois. "In retrospect, the whole duplicate apartment  
thing is so creepy."  
"I felt so violated," she said quietly. "He’d been in my place, touching my things. Horrible."  
"I guess I thought he was doing it out of… a desire to make things easier for me after the  
impact. But now that I know what he really was, I realize how utterly depraved it was."  
"I think I just looked at it differently because of my experiences… men with power scare  
me," she said. "It took a long time for me not to be scared of Clark. But –the reason I  
brought this up is that … maybe that’s what you’re seeing, Clark. Maybe that’s where  
Luthor has him."  
"Then that’s our first stop," said Clark.  
"We still have to figure out what to do about the clone," said the other Lois.  
"We could wait for him to show up here, and then I could overpower him."  
"And then what? I mean — you can’t overpower him for long, and it’s not like you can kill  
him…"  
"Good point."  
"Herb — can you send him into another world?"  
"That seems most unwise."  
"Can we just try to go get Clark and deal with the clone later?"  
"He’ll be looking for her fairly soon. He won’t stop until he finds her," Clark said  
apologetically, noting how his words affected the Lois from this world.  
"God… this is so much like — before," she said, bleakly, sinking down on the couch and  
resting her head in her hands.  
Clark looked at his Lois uncertainly. He hated to see her doppelganger in such pain, but  
he had no idea how to help or reassure her.  
Lois shot him a reassuring look and then she went over and sat next to her doppelganger.  
"Listen," she said calmly. "We have no idea what you’ve been through, and we aren’t trying  
to minimize it in any way. But we are here… and we won’t let anyone hurt you. Clark  
won’t let anyone hurt you. You aren’t alone in this, okay? We are committed to finding  
Clark and bringing him back safely. As far as this clone — we’ll find a way to take care of  
him."  
Lois looked up and looked at the other-Lois bleakly.  
"But how," she cried softly.  
"I don’t yet –" There was a knock at the door, and they all looked up apprehensively.  
"I don’t think — the clone would come to the door," whispered Lois nervously.  
"It’s a woman," said Clark quickly. "She’s got long blonde hair, she’s really slender, and  
looks to be about six feet tall. Very elegant and beautiful."  
"Carissa! It must be Carissa!"  
"The woman he went on the charity date with? This is good — maybe she knows what  
happened!"  
"Or maybe she’s come here to harm Lois," warned Clark. "If she had anything to do with  
this — she might be a threat."  
"Let’s hide," said the other Lois. "Come on… we’ll be in there," she said, indicating the  
bedroom. "We’ll be waiting — if she tries anything, we’ll be right out in a jiffy. Okay?"  
Lois nodded, hastily brushing the wetness from her eyes. Her doppelganger seemed to be  
in control, so capable. It was like having an older sister. Part of her felt weak and stupid  
for letting the other Lois take charge like this, but another part of her recognized that she  
desperately needed this right now.  
Lois and Clark went into the bedroom, and as they did, she heard Clark mutter to Lois:  
‘No funny stuff, darling.’ She saw Lois gently elbow him in the ribs, and she felt a sudden  
surge of longing for her Clark.  
She composed herself for a brief second and then she opened the door.  
"May I help you?"  
Carissa rushed in and slammed the door behind her, fear evident in her movements. The  
woman had been crying and looked like she hadn’t slept.  
Lois uncharitably wished for a camera right now.  
<<I’d love to get this picture on the front page of the gossip rags.>>  
"What do you think you’re doing," she asked in mock-indignation.  
"Look. I need your help. Lois Lane … I — I really need your help!!"  
"What’s wrong? What’s happened? Is this about Clark — do you know where he is?" She  
dropped all pretense and got to the point.  
"I think I’ve killed him," she wailed, and gave into the tears that she had been holding at  
bay. "Oh god…"  
"Okay. Okay. Start from the beginning. What happened?"  
"I… I — I’m going to go to jail for this," she whimpered. "I can’t go to jail. I can’t!"  
"Look. Whatever it is- I promise — I’ll help you- if you just tell me what’s going on. What  
did you do? Where’s Clark?"  
"Oh. I’m sorry. I know you two have been seen together. I — I wanted him, Lois. I thought  
he was mine –and then- he just didn’t seem interested. I was able to fool myself into  
thinking he might not find Earth women attractive — but then — he was seen with you —  
and the rumors were flying — and… well — I — I …"  
"You… you what?"  
"One of the makeup artists that I work with had an assistant, and she told me that she  
could help me. She told me that she knew of a substance that would make someone fall in  
love — a chemical substance. Like a love potion. She sold me some, and I was supposed  
to put it in his drink and then some in my drink as well. It was supposed to make him fall  
in love with me. But it didn’t. I gave it to him, and he ended up losing consciousness."  
"Where were you?"  
"I arranged for exclusive use of my favorite restaurant. We were alone — and then — he  
passed out… I didn’t know what to do — I was panicking, and then — somebody grabbed  
me, and injected me with something. It was dark, and I couldn’t see… and then, I lost  
consciousness. I woke up alone."  
"Oh my god!"  
"I think I killed him!!! Somebody set me up — but I don’t know who, and now — now —  
he’s … he’s probably dead!"  
"Did you drink this stuff too?"  
"No… at the last minute, I decided I’d give it to him first, and see if he fell in love with me  
without my taking it. If it didn’t work, I figured I’d take it. I was afraid that it might  
somehow affect my looks," she said, looking down. "I’ve heard horror stories of how other  
models have agreed to backroom anti-aging treatments, only to end up permanently  
disfigured. I couldn’t take the chance…"  
"But you were willing to give it to him," she said, her voice icy and pained.  
"I — I was desperate. I love him so much! I just didn’t think I could stand another day  
without him!"  
"I know how you feel," she muttered, despite herself.  
"You love him?"  
"It’s not important. Wait… didn’t you see Superman at all today? He was out … stopping a  
robbery — I’m surprised you didn’t."  
"Oh god! Thank god — that means he’s okay!! I assumed — I just woke up — and came  
directly here. I assumed that — that he must have been abducted — that it was some kind  
of setup! Why would someone go to the trouble of knocking me out –"  
"It’s not him," said Lois hastily. "I ran into him. Whoever… whatever — he’s not Clark."  
"That’s impossible," she wailed, regaining her hysterical state.  
"Do you still have more of the chemical?"  
"Yes — the stuff I didn’t take."  
"Is it equal to the dose you gave him?"  
"Yes, but why? How can this help us?"  
"We can use it against his imposter. If it knocked Clark out, it may well have an effect on  
his clone."  
"His clone? Did you say clone?"  
"Yes. I think someone cloned Clark."  
"But — but that’s impossible!"  
"Nothing would surprise me at this point," she said. "Look — the clone is coming here  
soon — he thinks we have a date. You have to get out of here — lay low. I’m going to  
have to get ready for this date, and — "  
"Where can I go?" she wailed. "Wherever I go — I’m going to be in danger!"  
"Whoever did this could have killed you — but they didn’t."  
"But maybe the chemical also contained poison for humans — maybe it would have killed  
me if I took it — and it would have looked like suicide."  
"Good point," she said. "But you can’t stay here. He’ll find you — I need him to not be  
suspicious. I need him to drink the wine when I offer it to him — wine laced with this  
chemical."  
"Where can I go?" she asked, panicking.  
"If you want Clark back, you’re going to have to comply," she said in exasperation.  
Later, after she finally got the frightened woman to leave, Lois and Clark emerged from  
her bedroom.  
"This is a bad idea," said Clark.  
"It’s a great idea," said Lois.  
"Lois! She’s setting herself up as … as… bait. This is really dangerous. I’m sorry — it’s just  
a bad idea."  
"Says you," said Lois sweetly. "But you always say that about my more… dangerous  
schemes. Usually my ideas are good ideas that pan out in the end."  
"That nearly got you killed."  
"Well, it’s a good thing that you’re here then, isn’t it?"  
"Lois!"  
"Clark! We have to get that stuff into the clone. He’s not going to be suspecting anything,  
and he doesn’t know enough about their relationship to suspect anything’s wrong when  
she gives him wine to drink. Lois — this is a good idea… but are you sure you’re up to  
doing it?" she said this, as she took in her doppelganger’s frightened appearance.  
"No," she laughed mirthlessly. "I am anything but ready for this." She expelled a  
frightened breath. "But I have no choice. Clark needs me. We have to do this."  
"I … I could do it for you…" She looked at Clark warily as she said this. As expected, his  
expression became alive with horror and refusal.  
Lois caught the interchange. This was her problem, and she couldn’t put these two  
through additional hell. They were already doing so much for her as is, and finding Clark  
would surely involve personal danger on both their ends.  
"I’m okay," she said with a firmness she had to fake. "Come on — I have a date to prepare  
for."  
"Lois," said Clark. "I promise you. I won’t let things get out of  
control. I’m right here, okay?"  
Nervousness squeezed her heart as she looked at him. Just how out of control can things  
get here? She nodded, not really feeling the reassurance he was clearly hoping she would  
feel.  
She turned to look at her twin.  
"The clone… in your world… did … did he…"  
"He got fresh," she said. "But… Clark burst in and saved the day — and in the end, he  
wasn’t such a bad person after all."  
"We won’t let him hurt you," said Clark again. "I can’t imagine how scary this is for you,  
but remember- we’ll be here."  
"But you can’t be here," she said. "He’ll see you. Or he’ll sense you… he’ll hear your  
heartbeat."  
"Fine. I’ll be nearby… out there," he said, indicating outside.  
"And where will I be," asked the other Lois.  
"Uh… someplace safe…?"  
"Not on your life."  
"Lois," he said, exasperated.  
"Clark."  
"Fine. We’ll be out there."  
"And I’ll just pop out of this dimension for a while," said Herb.  
An hour later, she waited nervously for him to arrive. She smoothed down the silky fabric  
of her dress as she sought to keep calm. The wine was already poured and waiting, and  
she stood holding the glass, trying to make it seem like some kind of regular ritual.  
Her heart tightened in terror as she saw the familiar red, blue and yellow of his costume.  
He looked so much like Kal-El and even his body language failed to soothe her. If  
anything, it made her even more afraid. This man was dangerous, and if he knew what  
she was up to, he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her.  
He flew in, and took in her appearance.  
"Glad to see you followed my orders," he said, in a voice meant to be teasing.  
She shivered at his words.  
<<I can’t do this!>>  
She forced a smile on her nervous lips, and roundly scolded herself into standing her  
ground.  
"I… I have your wine- just as always," she said, her voice trembling slightly.  
"Oh… like always?"  
"Like you like it…"  
Sudden fear gripped her. What if Lex had been spying on them? What if he knew that Lois  
and Clark never shared wine like this. What if the clone knew that she was lying through  
her teeth? What if he was just playing with her. She waited tensely for him to call her on it.  
<<I know you’re lying, Slave. I always know when you’re lying.>>  
She forced thoughts of Kal-El back into the dimmer recesses of her mind and kept her  
eyes locked on his.  
<<I’m doing this for Clark. I love Clark. He needs me. He’s in trouble.>>  
The clone approached her slowly, enjoying the slight flash of fear in her eyes. Lois was  
probably used to a much milder mannered lover, but he couldn’t bring himself to play it  
that way. He liked the little hint of fear in her eyes. Soon, when he took over… he’d see  
that in everyone’s eyes, and that was as it should be.  
He gripped the glass, deliberately letting his fingers brush against hers. He lifted it up to  
his lips, keeping his gaze locked on hers. Her lips were so mesmerizing. He had to kiss  
her. Idly, he placed the glass down, and then he pulled her close against him.  
She tried hard not to cringe from him.  
Lois and Clark are nearby. They won’t let anything happen.  
His lips crushed against hers and she fought against her gag reflex. She forced herself to  
fake a response so that he wouldn’t get suspicious, all the while wishing she could get as  
far away from him as possible. Her body was trembling wildly and she hoped that he  
would think it was desire. If this clone were young, perhaps it was also inexperienced, and  
wouldn’t really be able to read her body language. As this thought occurred to her, it also  
gave her an idea. She would pretend to be inexperienced, in order to fend him off.  
His hands started to move roughly on her body, and she gripped his hands frantically  
trying to still them.  
He stepped away a little and looked at her, cold arrogance in his eyes. It was obvious he  
didn’t like her resistance.  
"Lois? What are you doing?"  
"I- uh… I — I … well — Clark… you know that I’m … inexperienced," she gasped out. "You  
know how this kind of thing still kind of makes me nervous… maybe if I had some wine."  
"Here," he said, lifting his glass and tipping it against her lips. "Have mine."  
"Oh… but — I thought you didn’t like to share," she burst out frantically. "And that’s the  
last of the vintage that you really like. I’ll open a different one for me," she said. "I saved  
the best for you. After all, you deserve it — after all that you do for us!"  
That sounded right. He didn’t like to share. And he did deserve the best. He deserved  
worship from these pathetic and puny people. Might was right, and he would be their god.  
She stepped away, and he saw her move to open another bottle of wine. He watched her  
movements lazily, enjoying the play of her curves under the tight dark-red silk. She was  
gorgeous, and if she were also truly inexperienced, he would enjoy being the first… and  
only… to have her… tonight. It made sense now that she was afraid.  
She looked up at him to see what he was doing and the unfettered lust in his expression  
nearly sent her into a full-blown panic attack.  
<<God, I can’t do this! Somebody help me get through this!>>  
She poured herself a glass with a shaky hand.  
Forcing a smile on her stiff features, she walked over to him, and held up her glass.  
"Cheers," she asked, forcing her voice to sound a little husky.  
"Cheers," he murmured back, clinking his glass against hers.  
Her heart leapt.  
<<God — he could have broken our wine glasses. And then what?>>  
Oblivious to her panic, his gaze locked on hers. He lifted his glass to his lips and drank  
down its contents.  
She drank down hers as well, keeping her eyes directly on his, fearing that if she broke  
eye contact he would somehow escape the effect of the drug.  
He tossed the glass down carelessly, and then he pulled her glass from her trembling  
grip, and tossed that aside as well.  
"Relaxed enough?" His voice was slightly edged with mockery as he pulled her close again.  
She squeezed her eyes shut as his lips descended down again, and her heart was beating  
wildly. Why wasn’t he –  
Her wild thoughts broke off as he stepped away from her, gasping. He looked at her, rage  
in his eyes, and she suddenly was pushed down to the ground. A bolt of heat vision shot  
over her head, and then she saw him drop to the ground, unconscious.  
She first looked down at him, trying to calm her wildly beating  
heart. After a long moment, she looked upwards at the man who was kneeling beside her.  
"Did I hurt you?" His voice was urgent and apologetic.  
"No," she gasped. "You… thank you… you… saved my life," she gasped.  
He stood up and helped her up as he did so. She didn’t flinch from the contact. Like Clark,  
he was nothing like Lord Kal-El — or this clone.  
"That was close," gasped the other Lois.  
"I didn’t think he was going to drink the damn thing," said Clark. "That almost didn’t  
work!"  
"But it did work," said the other Lois. She looked over at her twin, and then said the first  
thing that popped into her mind. "You look nice," she said, amazed by the dress.  
<<God, am I that beautiful? Maybe I should grow back my hair?>>  
She stole a look at Clark to see if he was struck by her twin as well.  
Clark did not appear overly affected by Lois’s dress. If anything, he seemed a bit agitated  
by the events of the evening. She stepped over and placed a hand on his arm.  
"It’s okay, honey."  
Lois watched them wistfully.  
<<I want Clark.>>  
"I should change," she said. "And then… we go find Clark?"  
She went into her room and quickly changed. She came out and eyed the clone fearfully.  
"Let’s just go," said Clark. "If it was Kryptonite, it’ll be a while before it leaves his system."  
"Right. Let’s get out of here."  
"Do we drive… do we fly…?"  
"Both," said Lois firmly. "We’ll need the car, to escape. If Clark is doped up with  
Kryptonite, then my Clark won’t be able to pick him up to fly him out of there. Clark —  
you can fly us and her car together… okay?"  
"Sounds like a good idea. Are you okay with that?"  
She looked at him, appreciating his asking her opinion.  
"Oh… sorry," said the other Lois. "I keep taking over, don’t I?"  
"I don’t care! I just want Clark back. It’s fine with me. Let’s go!"  
"Before we do anything," said the other Lois, "I need to use your bathroom."  
"No problem — it’s –"  
"I know where it is," she smiled. "It’s incredible how our apartments are so alike!"  
After her double disappeared from view, Lois didn’t know how to handle herself. She felt  
awkward in the presence of this Clark — he reminded her too much of the man she loved,  
and yet she still couldn’t erase the image of him dressed like Lord Kal-El.  
Spurred by those thoughts she turned away from him. She regretted that action as her  
eyes caught glimpse of something even more frightening. She looked at the unconscious  
body of the clone, and felt a deep chill go through her body.  
She stared at it a long time.  
<<He was going to rape me. He was going to turn me into his slave. It would have been  
Lord Kal-El all over again, and he was going to do it — here… here where I’ve shared such  
fantastic moments with Clark. He was going to hold me down and hurt me. Wearing  
Clark’s face, body and name.>>  
Clark looked over at her and saw that she was shivering. She seemed transfixed by the  
clone, and he thought, with a stab of horror, about how close she must have felt to being  
with the monster who had abused her all those years.  
Taking a huge chance, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, hoping, if anything, to  
remind her of the good and gentle man that she had fallen in love with. A man she now  
had to save.  
"Lois," he said quietly.  
She turned eyes that were still wide with shock in his direction, and he could feel the  
trembling under his hand.  
"I know that was hell for you," he said, his voice quiet and gentle.  
She slowly nodded her head and swallowed some of the freezing terror out of her throat.  
"It’s just… he… he… he was so much like Lord Kal-El." Her voice was barely audible, but  
his super-hearing picked it up. "I… I — I spent three years as his slave," she said quietly.  
"He hurt me — he — he made me feel like nothing. And then — it was going to happen all  
over again. I couldn’t have stopped him. It was going to happen all over again."  
"I’m sorry," said Clark, expressing remorse not only for having let this creature lay a  
single hand on her, but also for every other bit of pain she suffered at the hands of the  
man who was him in another world. "We should have found a different way to stop him."  
She shook her head, impatient with herself and all her bad memories.  
"No. No apologies. Don’t feel bad for what I chose to do. I did what I had to do. And —  
you know… I discovered something really important in the process," she said, her voice  
full of wonder. "My love for Clark is stronger than my fear of Lord Kal-El. I never knew  
that. I — all this time… I doubted myself — and whether we could make this work… but —  
I think I’ve … come to realize — thanks to the clone … that I can do it. I’m not weak. I’m  
not … nothing… Lord Kal-El was wrong about me."  
"Yes. He was," said Clark. "You are very strong. You have my complete admiration."  
"And mine," said her doppelganger. "I’ve never had to be as brave as you just were. You  
amaze me."  
"Oh," said Lois, smiling at her twin. "Come on… knock it off." Her words were harsh, but  
her smile told a different story.  
"You are amazing," her twin reasserted firmly. "And… I hope that this encounter will give  
you strength for the one to come."  
"I hope so too." Her voice was suddenly sober again as she realized the daunting task that  
still lay ahead.  
"It could get bad," said Clark, quietly. "Luthor is … ruthless. And –"  
"I don’t care," she said, her eyes burning with fierce determination. "I would sell my body  
and soul to Luthor if it meant saving Clark."  
"It won’t come to that," Clark responded with equal determination. He looked over at the  
other Lois nervously. "Are you ready for this?"  
She gave him a brave smile.  
<<Ready to face Luthor? Never. But we’re doing this. Hey — if she can face up to this  
creep… then — we can do this.>>  
"I only hope I can live up to her example," she said, with a lightness that concealed her  
own fears at seeing Luthor again.  
Lois looked at her doppelganger in amazement.  
"All this time, I’ve felt like I’ve … somehow … wanted to live up to you. To the bravery and  
compassion that you showed when you were here… for never once fearing Clark for his  
strength and power — for always seeing what he was and what he could be… I tried to  
turn the tide of public opinion against this wonderful man because I thought he was a  
monster in disguise — you… you always knew…"  
"I hadn’t been badly treated by his doppelganger," said the other Lois firmly. "If I had — It  
would have been a very different story."  
Lois nodded gratefully. "Thanks. I guess I’m still carrying around a bit of guilt. But guilt  
won’t help us now. Clark needs us and I have to be strong."  
"As do we," muttered her doppelganger.  
"What do you mean?"  
"In our universe, we both… fell afoul of Lex," she explained. "He nearly killed us both, and  
on more than one occasion."  
"Both of you…"  
"Yeah," said Clark. "And we’ll explain later — no point in dredging all that up now — it’ll  
just psyche us out."  
"How are we going to get there?"  
"You both could get into Lois’s car, and I could fly it there."  
"Sounds like a good idea," she said.  
"Are you okay with flying with me? I don’t want to bring back any –"  
"It’s okay. Clark and I have flown together a few times. I’m an old pro."  
<<No point in telling him how much it scares me still. >>  
"However… I should change before we go," she said nervously. "I can’t go like this."  
Before she could leave the room to go change, the other Lois, who had been looking more  
troubled by the second, spoke her mind.  
"Um… guys…? Before we go off on full-speed-ahead, can we just rethink this for a  
second? Lex Luthor is in possession of Kryptonite. He can hurt Clark. He can hurt us, and  
we don’t have any kind of weapons whatsoever at our immediate disposal. Seems to me  
— we need backup… or help — or whatever you want to call it."  
"What did you have in mind," asked Clark?  
"Lois? Can you think of anyone who you can really trust to help?"  
"Perry. I can call Perry. He knows about other universes, so he won’t be too freaked out to  
find out about you two. And maybe he can get Bill Henderson involved. He might be able  
to put together a discreet team of people to help us out — who can be trusted not to talk  
about having met people from another universe!"


	7. Chapter 7

"It’s a good idea," agreed Clark. "As Lois said — we aren’t exactly well prepared to go  
fight Luthor, and he does have Kryptonite — he must… right? I can’t imagine he used it all  
up in that poison that he gave Carissa."  
"Okay, then. It’s settled. I’ll make the call."  
She picked up her phone and dialed Perry’s cell-phone number. She knew he’d answer it  
when he saw it was her.  
"Hi! Perry… I –"  
"Lois! Are you okay? Is… is anyone there with you? Are you in any kind of danger?" Perry’s  
voice was urgent, and it gave Lois pause.  
"What are you talking about? Why do you think I’m in trouble?"  
"I –" he hesitated, and she could sense his nervousness over the phone. "I… Clark was  
acting really strange today," he said. "I — I — I was kind of worried about you."  
"I’m okay," she assured him hastily. "But you were right to worry. Something very bad is  
going on and I need your immediate help. I need you to come over here, as there is  
something I have to show you… and I can’t bring… it… to your office."  
"Yes. Of course… I –" "I also was hoping you could arrange for Inspector Henderson to  
come by as well. I have a feeling his help is going to be needed as well."  
"Uh… yeah — actually — I’m in a meeting with him right now."  
"Oh. You are?" The wind taken out of her sails again, she stopped talking.  
"We were kind of brainstorming about … Clark. I’m sorry — you know the man is like a  
son to me — but his behavior today has been… really — frightening. And — well… we  
were … talking about how to deal with …"  
"Perry. No apologies needed. I know precisely how you feel. Please — you have to come  
here quickly. Time is very much of the essence."  
Twenty minutes later, they heard a knock at the door. After Clark affirmed that it was  
them, she opened it, ushering them quickly inside. She hastily closed and locked the  
doors, not wanting anyone to see what was inside her apartment.  
"Oh my god," said Henderson as he saw the prone form of the clone. "What happened to  
Clark?"  
Perry rushed over to his friend’s body, and knelt down placing a hand on him to see if he  
was dead.  
"Lois — what happened? Is he sick? What –"  
"Actually," said Clark. "He’s been poisoned."  
Both men turned in surprise towards the man speaking, and were shocked to see Clark  
Kent standing there.  
"Somebody want to explain what’s going on?" Henderson managed to keep the calm in his  
voice due to years of being a policeman.  
"That…" said Lois pointing at the clone, "is a clone."  
"A clone."  
"Yes."  
"Of Clark?"  
"Yes."  
"And — he’s the one who was acting so … belligerently today?"  
"Yes."  
"Clark. Why in god’s name would anyone clone you?" Perry was bewildered.  
"Well… if whoever did this could control the clone, he could take over the world if he  
wanted. Know anyone who fits that bill?"  
"Luthor." Perry’s voice was emphatic.  
Bill hesitated a moment, pondering that.  
"He does have the financial resources needed to do something like this — but does he  
have the motivation? Clark… what I don’t get is… where the heck were you while your  
clone was masquerading as you today? I mean — that was the clone, right? You don’t treat  
people like that…not even people who others may think deserve rough treatment."  
"No. But… I think you should let Lois answer these questions… it gets even weirder." Clark  
felt uncomfortable pretending to be his counterpart.  
"What… uh… what… what went on here?" Perry looked over at Lois, taking in her pallor.  
<<Something else had happened here. Did the clone hurt her in any way? She looks really  
nervous. >>  
"I can answer all your questions, but you just need to stop asking them and let me get to  
the explanation. Okay?"  
"Sounds good to me," said Bill. "Explain away."  
She took a deep fortifying breath, and told the story.  
"Okay. Last night, I had this bad feeling that something had happened to Clark. I called  
Perry about it, and he told me to turn on the T.V. I saw that Superman was out and about.  
Normally, I would have just called him — but I just had this weird feeling of… something  
not being right — something not being right about what I was seeing on the T.V. So  
instead — I went out to try to find him, figuring that it might be safer to talk to him in  
public."  
"Well — I know that you’ve had your doubts about …" Bill turned and looked at Clark  
apologetically.  
"No. I’m past all that. Clark and I have started a relationship," she blushed. "We’re…  
dating — but… it’s a secret still… okay?"  
"Lois — believe me, gossiping about people’s love lives is hardly my –"  
"I know. I know. I’m sorry. I just had to say that."  
"I just don’t see how you went from one extreme to another…"  
"Just let me finish!" Her voice was exasperated, and Bill had to fight from smiling. It was  
always fun to get under her skin a little. He liked and respected her, but she had been a  
thorn in his side one time too many.  
"I did run into Superman. He rescued me from being mugged. But he was very brutal with  
the mugger, and I felt really uncomfortable around him… he wasn’t acting himself. And  
then he just… flew away with me — brought me to Clark’s apartment." She paused, trying  
to compose herself. She noticed that Perry was now looking pale and very intent. She  
shook her head and smiled at him, trying to get him to calm down a bit.  
<<It’s okay. I’m okay.>>  
"He made a pass at me," she said, affecting a casual tone to her voice which completely  
belied the terror she had felt going through it at the time. "And I put him off, by  
reminding him that we had a date tonight. It worked, and I quickly made my way back  
home trying to figure out what was going on. After the clone kissed me, I knew that he  
wasn’t Clark."  
Perry grimaced.  
"Later on, Carissa showed up at my door and told me some crazy story about how she had  
purchased a so-called love-potion from someone and had slipped half of it in Clark’s  
drink last night. She was supposed to drink the other half, but had failed to do so, fearing  
it might somehow alter her looks. Moments after Clark drank his spiked wine, he lost  
consciousness. She was hit on the back of the head, and when she regained  
consciousness, she was alone. She came here to tell me what had happened — she was  
terrified. I got her to give me the rest of the poison. When the clone came here for our  
date, I gave him wine that had been spiked with the poison, and it worked."  
Perry looked over at her in sheer admiration.  
"Lois! He could have killed you — My god — he could have –" He trailed off, not wanting to  
go down a hurtful path.  
"He would have, Perry. He would have … abused me… and then — I’m sure, over time, he  
would have killed me — and many others. He seemed cruel, you know? Nothing like  
Clark."  
Bill looked over at Clark.  
"Where the heck were you in all this? If Carissa drugged you- what happened next? Are  
you still suffering from the effects of the drug — do you not have your powers — I don’t –"  
"I’m not Clark, either," he said. "Well. I am… but not … the Clark that you know."  
Bill stiffened. "Are you a clone too?"  
"No. I’m … I’m from an alternate universe." He winced as he said it, realizing how crazy it  
all sounded.  
"You’re… okay… April freaking fools. Come on — kids — give me a break here."  
"He’s telling the truth, Bill," said Perry gravely. "Is Lois with you? I’m assuming you’re the  
Clark that comes from the same world as that Lois who showed up here and convinced  
our Clark to become Superman?"  
"Yes, and Yes. Lois, you can come out now. They know."  
Both men’s jaws dropped as another Lois Lane came ambling out from Lois’s bedroom.  
Bill shook his head. "I’ve lost my mind."  
"No. Bill. Clark and Lois told me about alternate universes. It sounds insane, but — I  
believe them, wholeheartedly. "  
"But… two Lois Lanes," he groaned? "Two? Won’t this universe explode or something  
under the weight of both of these women?"  
"Hey!" Both women responded in the same indignant tone, and Perry had to fight from a  
slight burst of hysterical laughter.  
"Okay. So let’s just say that I’ve lost all reason, and I believe all this. Where is Clark?"  
"We think Luthor has him," said Clark. "I’ve been able to connect with him telepathically —  
just a glimpse — and — we believe that he’s at the bunker that Lex had built during the  
asteroid threat."  
"Telepathically?" Bill’s voice was incredulous.  
"Uh. Kryptonians are telepaths," he said carefully, knowing that this knowledge might be  
upsetting to many humans.  
"He can read minds? He never mentioned it –"  
"He didn’t know until very recently," said Lois hastily.  
"Neither did I. It wasn’t until I met other Kryptonians, that I found out about it."  
"Other…"  
"Just some weird stuff going on where we come from."  
"Did you tell him that he had telepathic abilities? How did he find out?"  
"Um. Well — that’s kind of my doing,’ said Lois awkwardly. "You see… I was … abducted  
from this world and forced to live in another universe. That’s where I was for all those  
years. And… there were Kryptonians on Earth in that other world. They had taken over the  
world."  
"Oh my god," said Bill. He was starting to believe her and this was getting grimmer by the  
moment. It certainly did explain why she had been so upset about Superman back when  
she first resurfaced.  
"In this universe — there was no Clark. He had never been sent to Earth. He was the leader  
of his people and he was a vicious and cruel man." Her lips trembled as her eyes lit on the  
clone again. Troubling memories poked at her mind.  
Perry moved close to her and lay a gentle hand on her arm. "You don’t have to continue…"  
She gave him a small grateful smile.  
"No. It’s okay," she said. She took another deep breath. "I was enslaved by Clark’s  
counterpart — he called himself Lord Kal-El."  
Clark flinched as she said those words.  
<<And now that’s my name.>>  
She walked over to Henderson, and then turned to the side, tugging at her shirt so he  
could see her brand.  
"He gave me this — my first day there… a mark of ownership. I — wanted you to see it,  
because it’s further proof that I’m not telling you some crazy story. I suppose I could have  
done this myself — but –"  
She stopped talking as she saw the horror now written on everyone’s face.  
<<Oh. Right. These are decent people. This kind of thing bothers decent people.>>  
"Sorry," she said, feebly, breaking the silence. "I …"  
"No," said Perry. "Please don’t apologize… it’s just…"  
"Awful," said Clark. "God… just awful!"  
<<What if they do this to people back home?>>  
She bit her lip and looked at Henderson.  
"So… so — that’s my … explanation."  
"Right. And… it’s quite an explanation, Lois."  
"Will you help us get Clark back?"  
Bill sighed heavily, and looked at the expectant faces.  
"It’s not like I can say no," he grumbled.  
"Thank you," Lois said quietly.  
Bill looked at her for a moment and then his mood eased a bit.  
"No thanks needed. Clark — he’s got a lifetime of rescues at his disposal — and… you…  
you’ve been through enough hell."  
"I’m doing all right," she said lightly.  
"I can see that. Okay. So here’s how it’s going to go down. No amateurs. Okay? That  
means… Perry, Lois and Lois — you aren’t going to go down with us. It’ll be Clark, myself,  
and a S.W.A.T team. You can come with us — but you can’t come down with us. Agreed?"  
The other Lois had a mutinous gleam in her eye but her doppelganger cut her short by  
agreeing.  
"You’re okay with this?" The other Lois was incredulous.  
"No," she said. "But it’s the right thing to do. Lois — we are amateurs and we will get in  
the way. If they need us we’ll be right there. I just want Clark back — I don’t have to be a  
part of this."  
"Well… if you’re okay with it, then I guess I have to be," her twin muttered, annoyance  
clear in her voice. "But I don’t have to like it."  
An hour later, Clark and Inspector Henderson were riding the elevator down to where they  
believed Clark to be.  
"I can’t believe it’s this easy," said Henderson nervously. "No security… nothing?"  
"Well… I think he’s trying to keep a low profile in case anyone figured out that the clone  
wasn’t the real-deal. Also — Luthor … at least the one I knew — he tends to be  
overconfident. His ego gets in the way of his common sense."  
"Knew? He’s dead?"  
"He committed suicide… the police finally caught on to him, and he chose death over  
going to prison. He… jumped… off a high building." He winced at the memory.  
"And you didn’t save him?" Henderson’s voice was light, but he was very curious why  
Clark had let the man die. The Clark he knew would have saved the man no matter what.  
"No. I — I couldn’t. He had … poisoned me with the same substance that he’s poisoned  
Clark with. Not in the same way — but — I was powerless…"  
"Oh god… poetic justice."  
"Okay. We’re here — so…"  
They got out of the elevator, still trying to keep a low profile  
"Remember- the plan is — you try to convince him you’re the clone. But… please… don’t  
throw me or any of my people against a wall to try to convince him — okay?" His voice was  
still light, but he didn’t know this Clark, and after seeing the clone in action, he was  
inclined to treat this Clark with a little healthy caution.  
"I would never do that," said Clark. "Don’t worry — I think this will work."  
Henderson stayed hidden, and Clark followed his instincts to where he believed Clark was  
being kept. The replica of Lois’s apartment.  
<<Luthor has a twisted sense of drama. Letting Clark suffer and die in a place that  
reminds him of the woman he loves. Sick bastard.>>  
He pushed open the door, and strode in with an air of casual arrogance.  
"Hey. Father. What’s up? How’s the ‘old block’ doing?"  
"What the hell are you doing here," hissed Luthor, whirling around to face his creation.  
"I wanted to see how old Clarkie was doing. Is he dead yet?"  
"No — not yet. I’ve been giving him small doses, I’m enjoying the show. Why did you call  
him the old block…"  
"Well — seeing as how you made me from him — I’m the chip off the old block. Get it?"  
"What are you doing here?"  
"You know — it’s amazing. One cell — one single cell — harmless… inert… insensible. But  
then — you take that cell and cajole it into growth and it turns into the supreme ruler of  
Earth. Amazing, isn’t it? One small cell?"  
"You aren’t going to be the supreme ruler of Earth. That’ll be my job- you’re the muscle.  
Don’t forget — you need me… you are nothing without me."  
"Doesn’t look that way to me," he said, his voice still very casual. "I got your little girl-  
friend, you know. She was much more interested in making time with me than with you."  
"Who…"  
"Lois Lane. You know — your obsession? She’s mine." His voice had a steely edge as he  
said this. "You’re going to be the one taking orders from me, old boy. You need to  
understand that I don’t need you at all. All of this — it’s mine — at my disposal. You’re  
nothing."  
"You — you dare? I — I’m — I made you! I can easily unmake you!"  
"In the blink of an eye, I could break your neck or turn you into a pile of ash. I think it’s I  
who could easily unmake you."  
He let his voice take on an edge of dangerous menace, using Lord Nor as a template for  
his behavior. Despite the fact that he was talking to a man he loathed and feared, it still  
made him sick to act like this. He only did it because he needed Luthor to believe he was  
the clone. If Lex ever found out about alternate universes, he would devote his time,  
resources and last dying breath to learning how to travel between them. One psychotic  
universe-hopping villain was enough.  
"You wouldn’t last a week without me. Have you forgotten? You need me to live. If you  
don’t get your regular treatments — you will die."  
"You think I don’t have that one covered? Father… don’t you know? I’m Superman — I can  
do anything."  
"I don’t believe you. If that were true, why wouldn’t you have killed me already?"  
"Maybe I don’t want to kill my father. Do you think I have no feelings at all? You can live,  
Lex – you just won’t be living free."  
"What are you –"  
"Lex Luthor. You are under arrest for kidnapping and attempted murder."  
Bill Henderson stood there, surrounded by his S.W.A.T team. Guns were trained expertly  
on Lex.  
He turned wild eyes towards Clark.  
"You… You… You set me up!"  
"Yeah… I kind of did."  
"Why — why would you do that?"  
Clark just shrugged. "Maybe because you’re a dangerous psychopath who needs to be  
behind bars?"  
"You… you — you’re my son!" His voice thundered as he said it.  
"No. I’m actually his son," he said, indicating Clark. "And I kind of take exception to what  
you’ve done to him."  
Luthor struggled against the men holding him, but he was vastly outmatched. His  
arrogance had caused him to try to eliminate his hated enemy without the backup of his  
regular team, and he had no-one of his own to help get him out of this mess. They were  
able to easily haul him back up to the surface. He would be caged.  
Soon, Clark stood alone near his doppelganger. He noted worriedly that Clark was looking  
very bad.  
"How’s he doing?" Henderson had returned to help retrieve Clark.  
"I — I can’t go touch him — and this is as close as I dare get. I don’t want the poison to  
affect me. It seems that Lex pumped him up with additional poison. Hopefully now that  
his body isn’t being given more poison, he’ll be able to recover quickly."  
"He’s going to need special medical help. Any ideas?"  
"Is there a STAR lab in this world?"  
"Yes. It’s run by a man named Dr. Klein."  
"Can he be trusted… trusted not to harm Clark while he’s vulnerable?"  
"I don’t know. But we can find out…. Is he a good choice if he is trustworthy?"  
"The best. At least where I come from."  
"I have to see him!!" They heard her anguished cry, and Bill quickly rushed out to reassure  
his people that she, of all people, was welcome to come in.  
She threw Bill a look of wordless and endless gratitude, and he squeezed her arm gently,  
and then she was free… free to rush in to the bedside of the man she loved more than  
anything else in the world.  
"Clark," she breathed out, the tears flowing freely and copiously as she gripped his hand,  
sitting next to the bed that so resembled her own. What sick and twisted logic had caused  
Luthor to choose that Clark’s prison would be an exact duplicate of her apartment… of  
her bedroom. "Oh… Clark…" She sat there, holding onto his hand as tightly as she could,  
willing for the energy that coursed through her own body to be somehow imparted to him  
— to somehow bring him back to full strength, back to conscious awareness… back to  
her.  
Clark was fighting a losing battle — his life was slipping away. He heard her voice, as he  
had — so many times before – as he lay in this bed — fighting against some strange  
poison that sapped him of his strength and his ability to even be conscious. He heard her  
tearful voice and fought with a brand new sense of purpose.  
<<Lois needs me.>>  
<<She doesn’t need you. She hates you. She fears you. That’s why she poisoned you. It  
was a trick- her pretending to have feelings for you — a trick to bring you down —  
because you’re an alien — a monster… the front line of an invasion. She knew this, and  
she did what she had to in order to stop you. She lured you into her bed- and then — she  
poisoned you.>>  
The thought pierced through his mind, but he knew — deep down — that it was a false  
thought. A changeling — brought to his doorstep by someone wicked — someone who  
wanted him to hurt — to hurt badly — before dying. Lois would never hurt him — never  
betray him. He knew this. He knew that she hadn’t done this.  
<<But then… who… what… what happened? How did I get like this… what had I been  
doing? I had been talking to Lois… hadn’t I? Before I collapsed? Where was I? Was I here?  
At her apartment? Or… no… Carissa.>>  
Searing pain accompanied that thought, and he shrank away from it.  
<<Someone doesn’t want me to remember all that.>>  
"Clark," Lois cried. "If you can hear me. Fight this — don’t die — please don’t die. I can’t  
lose you — it took so long for me to find you. Please don’t die. You have to fight the  
poison in your body. Fight it — it will eventually go away, and then you will recover. You  
can’t give in now."  
<<Lois didn’t hurt me. I never thought she did… but now — I know. She didn’t.  
Something bad happened. Lois needs me… she needs… she needs… me… I have to wake  
up now.>>  
Clark opened his eyes and winced against the pain of the action. Wave upon wave of  
agony hit him, and he felt as if someone were trying to pierce his brain with an ice-pick.  
<<Oh god. Make it stop!>>  
"Lo… Lois?" His voice was barely a hoarse whisper. "It’s … it’s okay."  
"Clark?! Oh — Oh — god — Clark!" She leaned forward and embraced him fiercely.  
Bill and Clark came over quickly, and saw that he was awake.  
"You’re awake," said Bill. "Thought you were going to sleep all day."  
"Hey buddy," said the other Clark, giving his doppelganger a wide grin. "You are a sight  
for sore eyes. Not that you look good… because you look horrendous — but still…"  
"What… what happened? What’s going on… Clark? Is that… and Inspector… you know that  
there are two of us?"  
His voice gained in strength as consciousness came back with a vengeance.  
"Yeah," he muttered. "Saved your tail too, Clark… but I guess I kind of owed you one."  
"What happened?"  
"Luthor happened," said Clark. "It’s a long story, and you will hear it soon — but  
everything’s okay now. Lex is going to prison, and you’ll be back to full strength before  
you know it."  
"What- what do we do about Clark’s condition?"  
"Well… Star labs, in my universe, has a very good and trusted scientist at its helm… a man  
named Bernie Klein. I’d trust him with my life. It may be that this world’s Bernie can be  
trusted too and that Clark’s best bet is to stay at Star labs a few days…"  
"No!" The exclamation came simultaneously from Lois and Clark.  
"I can’t — Clark… you know — I have no desire to be…"  
"Dissected like a frog. I know. I know. I understand your fears – "  
"Clark," said Lois. "We have no reason to trust this man. I can’t take the risk that in our  
world, he won’t give into the temptation to perform experiments on Clark. I almost lost  
him — I can’t go through this again… please… help us find another way."  
"I understand," he said soothingly. "I’ve lived with these fears too… but –"  
"You’ve been afraid of someone dissecting you?" Henderson was shocked to hear this.  
"Well — now that you’ve seen how easy it was for someone to bring him down — don’t  
you see why? He’s an alien. I’m an alien — there are lots of scientists out there who would  
love to get a chance to — see what makes us tick… without much caring whether or not  
we keep on ticking."  
"I .. yeah — I guess it just seems so strange to imagine that a man who could stop an  
asteroid would be afraid of human scientists… but it does make sense, now."  
""Lois… the other Lois and I could hang around for a few days — out of sight of course…  
others don’t need to know about other universes… and — just be around in case Clark  
does need our help. You can insist on visitation rights, and keep a close eye on how he’s  
being treated. Honestly — these folks are his best bet at survival. Of course — all this  
depends on Bernie being a trustworthy person."  
"We’re investigating him as we speak."  
"Do you consent to this?" Clark was looking at his twin, lying in the bed, looking pale from  
both his ordeal and the idea at being at the mercy of some strange scientist.  
"I… you really trust him in your world?"  
"Yes. I really do."  
"Then… I guess… if Inspector Henderson’s investigation reveals him to be a decent guy —  
then — I’ll give him a chance… I just hate to be away from…"  
"Me too," she said intensely.  
He looked at her closely, trying to determine if Luthor had hurt her in any way.  
"Are you okay?" His voice held a wealth of tenderness.  
"Yeah," she smiled. "Now that I have you back. God — when our link was broken…"  
"Our… oh… that’s why… now it makes sense… I remember now…"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Luthor manipulated my memories somehow — he tried to make me believe Lois had  
poisoned me and was watching me die in her apartment… in her bed…" He winced. "Every  
time my mind came close to the truth — I felt pain."  
"What is it with Luthor and his mad scientist Machiavellian plans? Why can’t he just do the  
old quick-kill and get it over with?" The other Lois had joined in having caught this last  
bit.  
"Well — I’m glad he didn’t," said Lois. "For once, his flair for the dramatic comes in  
handy."  
"Lois," said Clark. "You’re here too?" His voice softened as he saw her.  
The Lois of this world stiffened slightly as she heard that, and she watched, sharply, the  
interchange between the two.  
<<Now — I can finally see if he really loves her. Maybe he does, and just doesn’t know  
it.>>  
"Hey — we kind of owed you one too," she smiled down at him. "And it’s always great to  
see you… especially now that Lois is back in this world."  
His gaze shifted back to her, and she felt a spark of electricity at what she saw deep in his  
eyes.  
<<Oh god. He loves me so much. It’s never been her… it’s always been me. >>  
Her gaze locked on his, and they wordlessly watched each other, trying to share in their  
mutual love.  
"Earth to Lois and Clark," said Lois gently. "Clark. I just wanted you to know — this woman  
is braver than anyone I know. I mean — I’m guessing you already knew that… but — she  
maneuvered your very creepy clone into a trap — one that held a lot of personal risk for  
her — and –"  
"My what? Sorry… sorry for interrupting… but — what are you talking about?"  
Her brows furrowed. "Luther cloned you. You didn’t know?"  
"God! No… I didn’t…"  
"The clone was intended to replace you. Nobody would know you were missing and the  
clone would eventually enable Luthor to be king of the world."  
Horror filled Clark’s expression as he tried to comprehend this new information.  
"Lois! Are you all right — I mean –he didn’t hurt you… god — please tell me he didn’t –"  
"Listen, I may have had to deal with a little grief," she said lightly. "But you should see the  
other guy."  
"What do you mean?"  
"He didn’t hurt me, Clark. He just scared me… he was very — he reminded me — of …  
you know — Lord Kal-El… and — he — he — well — he was pretty stupid too. In the end  
— we got him. I had Lois and Clark here to help me — so… I was never in any real  
danger." She tried to keep her expression even as she attempted to lie about the  
situation. Right now, Clark didn’t need to get agitated.  
"Why do I feel that there’s more to the story…"  
She looked away uncomfortably.  
<<Yeah. I was never good at lying to Lord Kal-El, either.>>  
"Clark… Lois — how did you even get here?"  
"Wells sensed your life force was dimming, and came here to figure things out. When I  
told him what had happened, he brought them here." Lois was quick to answer. Again,  
she didn’t want Lois or Clark to give her Clark any more information than he need right  
now.  
<<No need to go into specifics.>>  
"How did you know he wasn’t me," he asked, trying a different tact. She smiled, and shook  
her head.  
"Believe me. It was obvious. Maybe others might have thought you were just acting …  
off… but knowing what I know about other universes — it wasn’t a huge stretch of my  
belief-system to just realize he wasn’t you."  
"What exactly did this guy do — that had people … thinking that I was acting ‘off’."  
"Oh — well — he was really brutal with any criminals he encountered," said Henderson,  
not realizing that Lois was trying to smooth things over. "And he made the moves on Lois,  
here…"  
Clark’s gaze snapped back to hers. Horrified.  
<<My god. The moves? What does that mean? Did he touch her? Hurt her? Rape her?>>  
A wave of pain overtook him before he could ask her what had happened, and blackness  
engulfed him.  
Lois watched his rapid loss of conscious with her heart in her throat. She raised anxious  
eyes up to Henderson.  
"Please. He needs help. Now. Can you call your –"  
She stopped talking as his phone rang, and he quickly flipped it open and answered.  
"Yes? Okay…. Okay….. Okay…. Thanks."  
He flipped the phone shut, and looked at the woman waiting edgily for what he had to  
say.  
"Lois. My sources all tell me he’s clean. The general consensus is that Clark will have  
nothing to fear from him. But … that doesn’t mean we’re not wrong… so –"  
"I don’t care. He needs help, and he’s going to get it!"  
Many hours later, Lois paced the floor near his bed at STAR labs. The other Clark and Lois  
had offered to stay, but in the end, it was decided that it was best for them to go back  
and deal with their own problems. As long as they were here they would be worried and  
unhappy about the fate of their own world, and their loved ones.  
There was the added fact that the other Clark would have been loathe to ignore cries for  
help — and yet he couldn’t just take Clark’s place. They didn’t want people to see  
Superman because Lex was going to have to stand trial for attempting to murder  
Superman. Clark would not have been able to lie in a court of law, and as a result, having  
another Superman flying around while he was desperately ill would have been too  
complicated to explain.  
Lois had watched them leave with a sense of loss. She really liked them and had wanted to  
get to know them better. She also had wanted to know the details of the Kryptonian  
invasion in their world, but Herb had suggested that perhaps too much cross- universal  
exchange of information could be hazardous to their futures.  
But now, she was here at the bedside of the man she loved, and she was afraid. Afraid  
now, not of personal injury — but that he wouldn’t recover. That she had been too late in  
finding out she loved him. That she had lost her chance to be with her soul-mate in this  
life.  
<<Stay with me, Clark. Don’t leave. You can’t leave!>>  
She was jerked out of her reverie by a gentle voice calling her name. Looking up, she saw  
the kind face of Bernie Klein.  
"Miss Lane? Can I get you anything? We have a vending machine, and coffee… it’s not the  
best coffee around, but –"  
"No, thank you," she smiled gratefully. "I’m fine. Really."  
"If I may say so… you actually do look a little tired."  
"Well. Yeah. Tired. Haven’t gotten much sleep the last 24 hours," she smiled sadly. "This  
whole thing has been such a nightmare."  
"He’s lucky that you knew something was wrong," he said quietly. "If it weren’t for your  
figuring out that Superman was really a clone…"  
"There was simply no way I wouldn’t have known," she said simply. "I love him. I would  
know him anywhere… and he wasn’t there, behind those eyes."  
Bernie was quiet, not wanting to comment on her words in a way that would be intrusive,  
and yet his curiosity burned bright.  
Lois looked at him sheepishly. "Did you ever read my article series?" she asked.  
"Well… ah… yes…"  
"So you may be wondering how I went from one extreme to another…"  
"Just a little. If you don’t want to talk about it though, I’m sure you get your share of  
harassment on this issue."  
"Well — most people don’t say anything… and we haven’t really been open about the fact  
that we’re involved romantically. I — I really did think he was dangerous — and I really  
meant the things I wrote.. but what happened is — I got to know him. Even before I knew  
him directly, I learned who he was indirectly — as a result of my research — and… then…  
there was no way I couldn’t fall in love with him. It was inevitable." She paused, and  
smiled self- deprecatingly. "I guess it took a while for my pen to catch up with my heart…  
but by the time the asteroid had become an issue, I knew he wasn’t a threat. It was the  
asteroid that brought us together, and after that we became friends. It wasn’t long before  
I knew that we weren’t friends — we were far more than that… at least, as far as I was  
concerned. He… he had my heart and soul — and I didn’t even know it… and now — he —  
he can’t die on me. I can’t lose him now!"  
"He won’t die," said Bernie soothingly. "He really seems to be doing well. All things  
considered and all — he really seems to be getting better. Listen — he’s just — dealing  
with this poison in his system. It’s natural he look bad while it’s in there — but soon —  
he’ll be the strong and healthy man you know, and this will be some past nightmare  
which you can move on from. But… if I may say so — you don’t look very … healthy right  
now. You really could use some …"  
"Sleep?"  
"I — ah — actually — I was going to say — mothering. You need someone to take care of  
you, to feed you, to give you a warm, safe environment to sleep in. That’s what I see when  
I look at you. And — that’s why I’m going to suggest… and it’s only a suggestion because  
of course, it’s a free country, you can do what you like, and I’d never dream of using my  
authority here to tell you to leave… but — I’d suggest you go to a trusted person’s house  
— mother, or sister — or — friend… whoever you trust, and let them take care of you… so  
that you can face what needs to be faced… you and Clark do have a lot ahead of you —  
Lex Luthor tried to kill him — and that means trials, and publicity — and… well — I don’t  
need to tell you that it’ll be stressful."  
"No…" her voice trailed off. "He’ll have to worry about the whole clone thing as well. The  
repercussions of what that clone did — his reputation — people will look at him  
differently even though it wasn’t him. It’s a good thing that the clone didn’t have more  
than one day out there… all he did was rough up a few people — it could have been so  
much worse."  
"Well. He’s dead now. The poison — along with the fact that his molecular structure was  
so unstable…"  
"Did… did I kill him then?"  
"He would have died anyway, Lois. Without the intervention of Lex Luthor’s scientists… his  
days were numbered."  
"Oh," she sighed. "I guess… I feel guilty about it."  
"Don’t," he said emphatically. "The clone was a super-powered bully. He would have been  
a real danger to the human race."  
"It’s just that he — he was Clark’s… flesh and blood. Almost like a son — or a brother."  
"I guess you could look at it like that — but… I’m glad he’s gone."  
She looked at him guiltily. "Me too," she whispered.  
"So are you going to take my advice? I promise to call you as soon as anything changes. If  
he starts taking a turn for the worse — I’ll have a car sent to you so that you can come  
here without any hassles. I promise!"  
"Okay."  
"Really? I mean — you trust me — to –"  
"I do trust you not to hurt him. I also trust in my own instincts. You’re saying sensible  
things here, and if I just get some sleep, I’ll be in much better shape to deal with  
everything else."  
"Great. I’m so glad! I’ll have a car brought around — to take you anywhere you want to  
go."  
She smiled. "Mom’s house," she said. "For some mothering."  
Early the next morning, Lois woke up and called Dr. Klein.  
"He didn’t tell you?"  
"Tell me? What…?"  
"He went home!"  
"But you said you’d call — he went home? I — I don’t -"  
"He woke up – and he was doing much better. At human strength, at least. He was restless  
and didn’t want to be cooped up at STAR and I can’t really blame him. After determining it  
couldn’t hurt for him to leave, I gave him some special sun lamps to help try to recharge  
him. We don’t really know how his body works, and what its relationship to the sun is, but  
based on theories of mine, I decided that the sun lamps might accelerate his healing  
process. Until his powers return, he really is disabled, no matter how strong and robust  
he may appear. I’m just surprised he didn’t call you — I asked him to — in fact — it was  
kind of an assumption I made — I’d hoped that you could help with making sure he didn’t  
over exert himself or just be around in case of a relapse of some sort."  
"He probably didn’t want to wake me," she said, her voice frustrated.  
"Yeah… he did seem to think that he should wait until morning. But I told him that you  
would want him to call — that you didn’t even want to leave here to get the rest you  
needed."  
"That’s just like Clark," she said.  
<<After what he knew Kal-El used to do to me- waking me up for his own selfish  
pleasure… Clark would feel badly about waking me under these circumstances. Damn the  
man. I’m going to have to cure him of that particular feeling.>>  
She flushed pink as she imagined him waking her up for his pleasure… and hers… some  
day — hopefully soon when they crossed that intimacy threshold.  
"I’m sorry. I hope you aren’t angry with me… or — or actually — with him…"  
"Don’t worry. I don’t plan on writing a scathing article series about how Clark can be so  
darned headstrong at times. I know it had to be hard for him — figuring that maybe my  
mom wouldn’t appreciate it if he called and woke me up — worrying about whether or not  
I had recovered from our collective ordeal. It’s okay. Bernie — you can’t be held  
responsible for his actions or wishes."  
"Thanks, Lois. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other soon as I work with Clark to get his  
powers back."  
She smiled into the phone. "I look forward to seeing you again, Bernie. Thank you for  
everything."  
She hung up the phone, and stood staring thoughtfully into space.  
"Lois? Who was that?"  
"Hi mom." She went over and gave her mom an affectionate hug. She had lived long  
enough without her family in her life, and now that she was overcoming the ordeals in her  
past, she was working towards showing the people she loved more tangible affection.  
"Hi yourself." Ellen smiled, feeling gratified by the hug.  
<<There’s nothing like the feel of your daughter’s arms around you. Nothing at all.>>  
"I was just talking to Bernie Klein about Clark."  
"Is he okay? I still can’t even believe all this. Lex Luthor trying to kill him. That other man  
being his clone? I have to tell you — I am so relieved that it wasn’t Clark. When I heard the  
special report on the news about how he was so violent with that criminal — and how he  
seemingly just abducted you… my god… I was terrified. I thought — oh my god — was  
Lois right all along, in the first place? And after you had let down your guard and let him  
into your life. It was just so awful! I’m so glad that it wasn’t him. I thought maybe he was  
under some kind of external influence… maybe someone had hypnotized or given him  
some kind of behavior altering drugs. And then you faced up to his clone, and stopped  
him! And you saved Clark! I can’t believe you did all that!"  
"I didn’t do it alone," she said not revealing too much about who had helped. "I don’t  
think I could have. I wouldn’t have had the courage."  
"I don’t believe that. You’re the most courageous person I know."  
"Oh, Mom!"  
"So — is Clark okay?"  
"He’s more than okay, actually. He left! He went home. And didn’t call. That sneak!"  
Ellen’s eyes widened a bit as she saw the look of exasperated indulgence cross her  
daughter’s face.  
<<She just called Superman a sneak.>>  
"Lois… is — is there anything… going on between… you two?" She was hesitant, knowing  
her daughter’s horrific past, and also knowing that Lois was a very private person, thanks  
in part to her own inadequacies as a mother over the years.  
Lois looked at her intently, willing for her mother to understand.  
"Mom. I love him. And — he loves me too."  
"Oh…"  
"Is that a disapproving Oh, or just… an ‘I don’t know what to say’ kind of Oh?"  
"The… uh — the latter… and also… a worrying kind of Oh."  
"Worrying."  
"Lois. Come on You’re my daughter – worrying is what mothers do. It comes with the job  
and it never ever goes away — no matter how old they get. You just learn to keep it to  
yourself, because it also annoys your kids when they get fussed over. Lois — I’m just… I  
don’t –"  
"I know. There’s the whole Lord Kal-El thing — and partly you’re worried that my feelings  
for Clark are somehow tied to this — somehow entangled with what I went through with  
Kal-El. And maybe another part of you is afraid of Clark himself –because a single blow  
from him could kill — and sometimes even the most gentlest- seeming of people can lash  
out physically… and maybe yet another part of you is worried that there are deep-seated  
feelings of anger and fear that I will never get past, and that being with Clark might  
dredge those up for me, time and again — because at times, he does look exactly like  
Lord Kal-El. Am I right?"  
"You’re too right. Too on the money."  
"Mom. I worry about these things too. Except for the bit about Clark lashing out. I know  
for a fact he would never ever do anything remotely like that. But I understand you  
worrying about it. I guess if I had a daughter and she were in a similar situation I’d be  
afraid of that too. But I love him. And I believe in what he and I have… and can have.  
We’re still very early on in our relationship with each other, but it’s so — incredible… just  
— loving someone like that — and knowing that they are the other half of you. I feel so  
strongly for him. I just know that this is right."  
Ellen felt the sting of tears in her throat and nose as she heard her daughter talk.  
<<My god, have I ever even felt that way about any man? >>  
"Well," she said, hoarsely, and then, she paused to clear her throat — clear the emotion  
away. "I — you’re a part of me… so if he’s a part of you… then… he’s a part of all of us.  
And we will be here for you. For both of you. I just want you to be happy, and I do believe  
he’s a good and worthy man."  
"Thanks mom," she said softly. "I’m going to need your unconditional support here. When  
the world finds out I’m sure that I’m going to be the target of a lot of vicious gossip and  
speculation. Especially due to the fact that I was so anti- Superman when I first got back. I  
can’t tell people why — so I’ll end up looking like some kind of opportunist or just an  
incredibly fickle person."  
"We know the truth. And we know you are none of those bad things. In time, others will  
get over it. You just have to deal with it while it lasts."  
"Do you think daddy will be… upset?"  
"No. He already guessed it anyway. And it didn’t seem to bother him any when he was  
speculating on your feelings for Clark. Don’t worry about any of us. Lucy, your dad… and  
me…. We’re all here for you.  
"Well," she said in a small voice, not wanting to trigger a session of ‘how come I’m always  
the last to know’, "Lucy kind of already knows."  
"Well of course she does," her mom said emphatically. "She’s your sister. You have to tell  
your sister these things first!"  
"You aren’t upset about it?"  
"No. But I don’t blame you for worrying about that. I know I’ve been my share of difficult  
throughout your lifetime. Lois. I’ve grown up. I’m the mom now, and you can really be my  
daughter. You don’t have to be my caretaker, or my best friend, or even my mother."  
Lois smiled and hugged her.  
Later, as she made her way to Clark’s apartment she couldn’t seem to get over the feeling  
of lightness in her heart.  
<<Lex is out of our way. The clone is gone. Clark’s okay, and things can only get better.  
We can take up where we left off. Oh… Yeah… he made me some amazing promises when  
he said goodbye to me the day before his date. I wonder if he’s feeling up to fulfilling  
those. I won’t push him — but if he is — well… I know I’m not going to say no. I can’t  
believe I feel this way — I — I feel desire and excitement at the idea of seeing him and  
being in his arms… at the idea of kissing him and being kissed by him. Oh… I can’t  
wait!>>  
She knocked at the door of his apartment, and waited impatiently for him to open. But he  
didn’t — and she got worried.  
<<What if he passed out or something? I better use my key.>>  
She let herself in and saw no sign of him. She put down the bag of groceries and the  
bottle of wine that she had been carrying, and she approached his room carefully.  
Her heart nearly stopped.  
He had set up the sun lamps and he was lying in bed. Fast asleep. And…  
<<My god… he’s completely… naked!>>  
Transfixed by what she saw, she edged in closer, never taking her eyes off of him.  
He was deeply asleep, and the slight sound her movements made did nothing to wake  
him.  
<<He’s so beautiful.>>  
She felt like some kind of peeping tom, standing there and staring, but she couldn’t bring  
herself to turn around and walk away.  
She felt conflicting and overwhelming feelings overwhelm her senses. The sight of him  
lying there like that did send a jolt of apprehension into her heart. He did look exactly like  
his brutal doppelganger, and that could hardly have escaped her senses. But she felt other  
things — like sudden and powerful desire… a need to touch him and to be touched by  
him. It was an intense and overpowering sensation, and she felt as if it would carry her  
away. Her body was alive now, with the tangible effects of those emotions.  
<<I want him. I want to touch him. I want to kiss him. I want… oh… I don’ t know. But… I  
can’t just stand here… I have to…>>  
She reached out a trembling hand, and without even really being aware of it allowed it to  
touch the smooth skin of his chest.  
<<So warm. And alive. He’s alive, and right here. And… he’s mine.>>  
She closed her eyes against the sudden jab of fear.  
<<Are you insane? What are you doing? Stop this right now — or you’ll set something off  
that you might not be able to stop. He’s naked, for crying out loud. >>  
She opened them again and gasped in sudden shock as she saw warm brown eyes gazing  
at hers. A mixture of shock and curiosity burned from his gaze.  
She locked her gaze onto his and they looked wordlessly at each other for a long moment.  
She could see the struggle in his eyes — a struggle she understood. She knew that part of  
him wanted to throw on clothes, to offer up hastily worded apologies for having appeared  
like this in front of her. But her actions in touching him seemed to have bemused him to  
the point that he was silent — silent and waiting for her next move.  
She sat down on the bed, and ran her hand more purposefully across the strong muscles  
of his chest. She heard his indrawn gasp, and knew that he had liked it. So far, she still  
felt in control, and that sound gave her an inward thrill.  
She looked into his eyes, and then, she leaned forward, moving slowly. After an  
agonizingly long descent, her lips finally met his, and he responded gently to her kiss. He  
was very carefully not to make any sudden moves.  
<<Don’t scare her. Let her make all the moves. Let her take the lead.>>  
She lifted her head, and gazed at him, this time, a question in her eyes.  
<<Is this all right my love?>>  
She fancied that he answered her — although, it wasn’t so much in her ears, or in her  
mind — she just saw the look in his eyes and knew his thoughts.  
She fingered the hem of her shirt, and after a moment of lip- biting hesitation, she pulled  
it up over her head. She saw his eyes widen as he took in her bra-clad torso.  
Her hands started to tremble harder as she moved her hands to the waistband of her  
jeans. She fumbled hopelessly at the fastening, when she felt his hand grasp hers very  
gently.  
"No," he whispered. "It’s okay."  
She felt a surge of gratitude. He had sensed that she wasn’t ready for that — and he had  
stopped her — knowing full well that she would never stop herself. Gaining strength from  
his control and patience, she lay herself down next to him. Her heart hammering with a  
mix of dread and excitement, she turned her body so she was facing him, and once again  
she lifted a hand up to touch him.  
This time her hand grazed the side of his face in a loving and tender gesture.  
<<God, how I love you.>>  
He felt as if he was holding his breath. He was terrified to move. Terrified that his body’s  
response to her nearness would scare her away. Terrified that in the end, if she needed  
him to stop, he wouldn’t be able to, and he would ruin everything.  
She leaned in, and brushed her lips against his, her hand still gently holding onto the side  
of his face.  
She ended the kiss, and rested her forehead against his as she closed her eyes and tried  
to get her crazy and conflicting emotions under control.  
Her eyes opened, startled, as she felt his hand stroke her arm from shoulder to elbow.  
She backed away slightly and gazed at him wordlessly.  
"Is this okay?" His whispered request sang along her nerve endings with its raspy, husky  
undertone.  
She saw the glittering desire radiating out from his expression and fought to clamp down  
the rising wave of panic.  
<<My god. If this isn’t the most compromising situation ever, I don’t know what is.>>  
"I… I — I think… I want you to — kiss me," she whispered back, surprised by the words  
that came out of her mouth. Surprised also by the husky undertone in her own voice.  
"You do," he said, with a sexy and slow smile. "Kiss you, you say?"  
She smiled back, unable to stop the muscles of her face from pulling the corners of her  
mouth upward. Not that she was even trying to contain her smile.  
"Yeah," she gasped breathlessly. "Oh. Yes."  
He moved in with such deliberately slowness that she suddenly had a violent urge to pull  
him closer. She held back, however and waited for him to come down on his own accord.  
He kissed her with loving and tantalizing passion. His lips moved over hers slowly and  
deliberately, and she felt the hotness of the tip of his tongue as he sought entrance to her  
own mouth, in a blatantly sensual kiss.  
He was being drawn into his own passion, and emboldened by her responses, he moved  
his lips along the curve of her jaw, down the side of her neck, until he found that spot  
that had triggered such wild passion in her just a few days ago. He kissed the base of her  
neck, and once again began his very tantalizing ministrations.  
She gasped in sudden shock as passion flooded through her limbs, and a growing  
heaviness overtook her. She wanted more. She wanted him. She wanted to press her body  
against him and feel every single inch of him against her.  
Drawn in by these feelings, she looped her arm around his neck, and pulled herself in  
close to his body. At the same time, his arms came up around her back, pulling her in,  
giving her the help she needed to achieve her goal. His lips returned to hers and they  
kissed wildly — it was almost a duel of tongues as they sought to learn more of each  
other, frantically and passionately. His arm tightened even further, and she felt her body  
press up tightly against his, the very hard evidence of his desire pressing against her leg.  
<<Oh my god. He’s hard. He’s huge. He’s… he’s… >>  
That was the only cold water she needed. Fear skittered through her like a mouse chasing  
after crumbs. It radiated throughout her entire body, obliterating every single trace of  
passion, and her body, which just seconds before had been warm, willing and wild was  
now trembling with her panic as she tried desperately to regain some semblance of calm.  
She whimpered deep in her throat, trying to tell him that she was scared, because she  
couldn’t break free from his hold.  
<<He has his strength back! I’m pushing against him, and he doesn’t even know it! Oh  
god — all he has to do is just roll over, and then… and then — he can just… he’s too far  
gone to stop! I went too far — I pushed him past reason and control — I — >>  
Suddenly, she was free. He pushed her gently away, gasping at his own desperate efforts  
to calm himself.  
He lifted a shaking hand, and very tenderly stroked her arm again, this time, not to offer  
up a sensual caress, but instead to give her gentle reassurance that everything was okay  
— that she wasn’t in danger. That he wasn’t dangerous.  
His touch scorched her senses. She had to get away — just get some space between them.  
She felt embarrassed, humiliated by her own fears juxtaposed with her initial wanton  
bravado –and she couldn’t face him. Unseeingly, she jerked back away from him, and  
scrambled off the bed. She grabbed her discarded shirt and dashed out the door of his  
bedroom, and stood there trying to recover herself by taking in some deep calming  
breaths.  
She had just finished putting on her shirt when he gently gripped her arm.  
"Please," his voice was both gentle and urgent. "Please don’t be afraid of me. Don’t leave.  
Please — don’t run away. I won’t attack you… I won’t ever force you to — to have sex with  
me. Please, Lois — please don’t be afraid."  
The remorse, and the yearning and the love in his voice made her want to cry even more.  
She crushed her eyes shut, and shook her head.  
"I — I’m not afraid of you," she said, her voice strained from the tears. Resolved to make  
him feel no more pain and guilt, she turned around, feeling his grip loosen and drop away  
as she did so. Very tentatively, she opened her eyes, fearing that he might still be naked.  
<<I shouldn’t be afraid to see him like that. He’s glorious. He’s beautiful. I should be  
aching to see him like that.>>  
He was fully dressed, and that hit further home the idea that his powers had returned.  
"You… you’re back — with your powers," she whispered.  
"Uh. Yeah," he said, looking down. "I — I’m sorry."  
"Sorry? Sorry that your powers came back?"  
"I — I –"  
"Clark! I wanted them to come back! Please don’t ever think I’d rather you didn’t have  
them!"  
"But — then … I wouldn’t really be a Kryptonian, right? I mean —  
I’d still look like him — but –"  
"Clark," she said, anxious and urgent for him to understand the truth behind her words. "I  
love all of you. All — every –single thing that makes you you… despite the very… non-  
loving and un- accepting way I just reacted," she whispered. "I’m sorry. I’m so — so  
sorry." Tears sprang anew in her eyes, and she looked down. "You must be so…"  
"So what," he prompted gently.  
"Upset. Angry. Disappointed. Frustrated. Come on, Clark — all the other times we’ve been  
together, I grant that I’ve not been a tease… but this? I lay down next to you and started  
to touch you…. When you were naked. Any man would be forgiven for believing that I had  
intended to follow through with my … actions."  
"Angry? Upset? Come on! Lois. You always have the right to change your mind — with me,  
or with any other man. It’s your body. Just as I always have the right to say no to you. "  
" But you aren’t saying no to me. You were willing — and more than ready… and –"  
"Look. I can’t deny that when you touch me, my body immediately goes into ‘ready-for-  
action’ mode. I can’t help that. It’s just… you know — a natural male reaction to a  
beautiful and incredible woman … hey — you don’t even have to touch me for that to  
happen. Even before we started our relationship … you affected me like that… it doesn’t  
mean we have to make love — it doesn’t mean anything other than the fact that I love  
you, and I’m unbelievably attracted to you."  
"But… what about… disappointed and frustrated," she asked in a small voice.  
"Okay," he said, giving her one of his heart-stopping smiles. Even now, with her painful  
feelings running so hard and rampant, she melted under that smile. "I admit… I’m … yeah  
— I’m frustrated… and — my body’s disappointed… but not my mind. Never my mind. I  
know that this is … that there’s a lot in your past that’s going to come out at times like  
that. I — frankly — I’m amazed you had the courage to do that. To lie down next to me  
like that. If anything… I’m in awe of you."  
She smiled back at him, feeling comforted by his words.  
"It… it was pretty courageous of me, wasn’t it," she said. "I guess… I didn’t even think  
about it. I saw you, and — I just… acted on instinct."  
"If I’d known you were coming over, I wouldn’t have fallen asleep like that. I guess I  
wanted to give those lamps full…uh… access… to … all of me."  
"Right. Because," she said, suddenly struck by the humor of the situation, "of course… you  
wouldn’t want to have a super-powered body, with the exception of…"  
"Lois!"  
"I mean — then you couldn’t very well let them call you the man of steel."  
He winced. "Oh god. Do you know how sexy you are when you tease me?"  
She gave him a mischievous smile. "Good. I’ll remember that."  
"So… are we… good? Are we okay?"  
"Yes! Oh god — Clark… I may freak out like this when we get close like that… but we will  
never not be good."  
"Well… I know that I was a little slow in figuring it out — back there — and if you felt  
angry or threatened, I’d want to know."  
"I don’t," she said, blushing. She looked away, embarrassed still to talk about it. "You  
would not have raped me," she whispered. "I know that for a fact. You couldn’t."  
"I’m glad," he said carefully. "That even despite my own crazy ramblings the other night —  
you know that I wouldn’t. No matter how out of control I ever may feel — I can’t imagine I  
could ever lose sight of what you were feeling to that extent. Lois — if I ever scare you —  
you can send me a telepathic message to stop, and that surely will penetrate the fog  
around my brain."  
She moved into his space by taking a step forward, and she circled her arms around his  
waist and laid her head on his chest.  
"I love you," she said, suddenly overwhelmed by that feeling. "And I thought I’d lost you. I  
— I can’t even tell you how horrifying that was."  
"What… what happened," he asked gently as his hand came up to carefully rub her back. "I  
only know parts of the story… and… I guess I’m hoping you’ll fill in the blanks."  
She backed up a bit, and he immediately let her go. He saw the look of uncertainty cross  
her face, and even thought he saw a glimmer of worry.  
"Lois? What is it? You can tell me anything, you know. I — I’m here for you — through and  
through."  
"I just… it’s not all that pretty… and — I don’t want… you to… think… of — of me…  
differently."  
Dread seized his heart.  
<<Did the clone hurt her? Did he — could he have raped her? Or — maybe did she seduce  
the clone in order to find me? It can’t be – right? Because then — wouldn’t she be more —  
agitated and — physically afraid of being around me all over again? >>  
"I… I killed him," she confessed, her voice so low only he could have heard it.  
"Killed… Luthor?"  
"No. No — he’s in jail. I… I killed your clone." She lifted tear- filled eyes to him, and said it  
again. "I killed your clone. Clark. I murdered him!"  
Clark listened silently, waiting for her to continue.  
"Don’t you understand," she said, her voice increasing in agitation. "I’m a killer. I killed a  
man. Your clone, for crying out loud. I’m a clone-killer — a — a –"  
"Lois! Please. If you killed him, it’s because you felt you had to. I don’t blame you at all.  
Did … what did he do to you, Lois. Did — did he — did he hurt you?"  
She heard the very anxious edge to his voice, and remembered the look of shock and  
worry on his face after Henderson had mentioned that the clone had gotten fresh with  
her. He had immediately passed out and she had forgotten that he had been left with an  
unfinished version of the story.  
"He … scared me. A lot. And… I thought he was going to… to rape me. But — I didn’t get  
hurt. And Clark — he was there too — with Lois — and so… I guess I should just start at  
the beginning and tell you the story. Do you want to sit down?" "Only if you do."  
"Yeah. I do."  
"Then let’s sit."  
He held her hand and led her gently to the couch. She sat down, and he sat down next to  
her giving her a little space.  
"It all started when our link was so brutally broken. I was enjoying that so much," she said,  
a sad smile on her face, "and then — it was gone. You were gone. I tried so hard to reach  
out to you — to make contact — I called you, I tried mental contact — but nothing… and I  
was so scared! I was sure something bad had happened, but it wasn’t like I had anything I  
could call and tell the police about. I finally fell asleep out of exhaustion, but as soon as I  
got up, I called Perry. He … he knows, by the way. About us. I hope that’s okay." She  
nervously looked at him as she awaited his answer.  
"Hey. It’s okay! It’s great!"  
"Uh… my mom knows too. And… um… Lucy… and… I think my dad knows."  
"It’s –"  
"Oh! And Bernie. So… I’ve kind of divulged our little secret. I hope that — you aren’t…"  
"Lois! Please — I think it’s wonderful."  
"Okay. Okay. So where was I? Uh…anyway — he told me to turn on the TV, and I did —  
and I saw… well — Superman. I still — didn’t feel right about — about things. I was going  
to call you and ask you to come see me, but something stopped me — some … feeling of  
things not being right. So instead, I … I went in search of you. I got to downtown, and you  
were gone — that’s where you last had been spotted. I — I decided to go into our alley  
and call you. I guess that wasn’t very prudent, but I did it anyway- and as my luck would  
have it, there was a mugger in there."  
"Lois! Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"  
"No. No… it was at that point, that I called ‘Help, Superman!’, and he arrived… and he  
picked up the mugger as if he was a rag doll and hurled him violently against the wall of  
the alley. That kid… he just crumpled into this heap. He’s…in a coma, now, actually… I  
called and checked on him."  
"Oh… god…" Clark buried his head in his hands.  
"It’s not your fault, Clark," she said gently, placing a comforting hand on his knee. "You  
were helpless, you couldn’t have done anything –and you aren’t the one who did this."  
"I know," he said. "But I still feel responsible for what he did — I know that’s not logical."  
"No… but I understand. And I’m sure that you’re going to have to deal with people who …  
maybe not blame you, but perhaps fear you by association, thanks to what that guy did.  
I’m sorry — you shouldn’t have to deal with this… insult onto injury."  
"It’s okay, Lois. I’ll worry about that later… but I do feel I owe that kid an apology."  
"Mmm. Maybe not the best thing to go try to give it. He may be traumatized by it. I mean  
— I guess — like me… you know?"  
"Yeah. You’re making a lot of sense." His voice sounded defeated.  
"We’ll worry about that together, Clark," she said kindly. "You aren’t alone in this  
anymore."  
"I know. Thank you. I love you."  
"I love you, too."  
"So… so what happened after that?"  
"He turned around to talk to me, and I just knew that something was wrong. I didn’t know  
what — yet… but I just had a bad feeling about him. I was afraid of him. I guess I just  
knew he wasn’t you."  
"Or… you thought he was me but maybe under the influence of something? Were you  
afraid of me?"  
"No! I — would never think you capable of hurting someone like that… at least not since  
I’ve trusted you. I didn’t yet have any answers, but I did suspect he might be from another  
universe. Anyway — he grabbed me — and flew away with me — to your place! I tried to  
tell him I was scared, but he didn’t seem to care or understand."  
"Oh my god, Lois. I can’t even believe… you went through all this and — you must have  
been so terrified. I’m sorry — sorry I didn’t –"  
"It’s okay, Clark. I’m okay. Really."  
"But what did he do — at my place…god…here… right here… did he…"  
"He … groped me. He kissed me… and he tried to go further than that, but I resisted. He  
was angry," she shuddered, "but I pretended not to notice, and just tried reminding him of  
our date later on. He still seemed intent on… having his way… but I managed to get him  
to let me go in the end. It … it was terrifying, Clark."  
His arm came around her and he gently squeezed her shoulders, offering up belated  
reassurance and comfort.  
She gratefully leaned into him as she continued her story.  
"I got back to my apartment, and I was terrified — I had no idea what to do next, and then  
Herb showed up. Oh. He knows about us too," she said, smiling up at him impishly.  
"He must have been… surprised — to say the least — that is… about us."  
"He was, but he recovered quite well. He sensed your life force dimming," she shuddered  
again.  
<<He knew you were dying. Dying! >>  
"And… he came to find out what was going on. When I told him, he called in the other  
Lois and Clark. That was a little … upsetting… because Clark was dressed just like Lord  
Kal-El- and for a rather horrifying long moment I thought he was Lord Kal- El."  
"Why in the world –"  
"Long story and I don’t know most of it, but I’ll fill you in. Don’t worry though — he’s not  
going to be Lord Kal-El for long, and he’s not doing anything dangerous … Lois isn’t in  
any danger from him. Okay?"  
"Okay…"  
"After he found out why I was upset, he flew here to get some of your clothes. Then — a  
lucky break came our way… Carissa showed up, upset about what had happened. She had  
some of the mixture she slipped into your wine with her, and gave it to me. I hatched a  
plan where I’d slip it into the clone’s drink. Clark was appalled by the idea, but Lois  
thought it was a good one. They hovered nearby while I tried to lure your clone into  
drinking a glass of wine. It was very close, but he did, and we ended up disabling him.  
After that, we called in Perry and Inspector Henderson, and mounted our rescue mission.  
Clark was able to use telepathy to find you."  
"My god… but when the clone came here… before he drank the poison — he didn’t hurt  
you in any way?"  
"He was… he kissed me, and he groped at me — and he was rough and… not willing to  
take no for an answer, so- yeah — he hurt me a little, and scared me a lot… but — in the  
end… it all worked out."  
"Oh, Lois."  
"And… I learned something really cool. I learned that my love for you is far stronger than  
my fears …and that was really important for me to realize. I realized then that you and I  
— we’re right together, and this is going to work. We will cross over into that kind of  
intimacy… it’s going to happen. And it’ll be wonderful when it does."  
"Lois," he said, pulling her close into a warm embrace. "I’m glad you finally believe that."  
"And if you think about it — okay — it’s a very hard way to get what you want… but we  
nailed Luthor. He’s going to prison forever. Now… I’m not saying I would willingly want  
you to be put in such a horrible situation for that outcome, but since it happened, I’m  
inclined to want to celebrate that rather wonderful outcome. I brought a bottle of wine…  
tonight, we are going to have that date that we didn’t get to have…do those wonderful  
things we talked of doing."  
"I’d like that," he said, his voice suddenly hoarse with emotion and desire.  
"I have some work related things to do," she said, her voice still slow and languorous as  
she traced an imaginary S on his chest. "Together," she said, backing away a little so she  
could look easily into his eyes, "we need to write the article about the arrest of Lex Luthor.  
I called in some stuff, but it was very much a skeleton of the story. I didn’t want to have  
anything published that you didn’t want published. But I do want to tell my story as well-  
the bit about the clone, uh… censored a bit… and… what?"  
He was grinning at her, and she was nonplussed. Was he amused by her?  
"Oh… Lois — it’s just that — it’s fun to watch you in reporter mode!"  
"Oh. But… you should have seen me back in the day. It wasn’t so much fun as frightening.  
Let’s just say that asking your permission before printing the story wouldn’t even have  
occurred to me."  
"And that’s why you’re the best. You never set out to deliberately hurt anyone, Lois — you  
just were fighting for truth and justice. You can’t argue with that!"  
"So — exclusive then?"  
"Yeah, I think you deserve it… after…" He deliberately let his voice trail off teasingly.  
"Oh! After what!" She sounded indignant, but he could see the glimmer of humor in her  
eyes.  
"After all — you were a very big part of the whole story. After everything you went through  
to save my life! The story is incomplete with you. Just like… me. I’m incomplete without  
you."  
"Likewise," she shuddered. "I never want to know that feeling again."  
"Me either," he agreed in a heartfelt assent. He pulled her close again, trying not to  
remember how desolate and lonely he felt when she wasn’t here — or when she was here,  
but absolutely terrified of him.  
"Lois… about our date tonight?"  
His voice rumbled in his chest, and she loved how it vibrated throughout her entire being.  
She pressed even closer against him, feeling safer than she ever had in her entire life.  
"Yeah?"  
"Stay the night," he said, backing away slightly to make full eye contact. "Stay the night…  
spend the night with me…"  
She stared at him, dumbstruck for a good long moment.  
When she spoke, her voice was utterly dry, and she had to clear it first before she could  
speak.  
"You… you mean… on — on the couch?"  
"No."  
"In… your bed? With… you?"  
"Yes."  
Her eyes widened a bit and she continued to look at him with that haunted expression  
that always made him want to hold her.  
"I — I — I don’t know if — it’s… I mean -"  
She stopped, took a moment, and then deeply inhaled and quickly exhaled to get some  
oxygen into her brain.  
"I don’t know if I can — do that… I — you saw how I reacted in … um… in — in there…  
and — I — I actually thought I was ready — and in fact — that’s why — I lay down next to  
you — I was ready — or I thought — and… then — I got so scared. I’m sorry! I — I had  
hoped that by conquering my fear of the clone — and dealing with him — that I had kind  
of also conquered my fears and trauma. But… I — I was obviously wrong." Her voice was  
very small as she said that last sentence.  
"I don’t want you to do anything that terrifies you. I asked because when I woke up and  
saw you there, next to me… it — meant more to me than I can ever tell you. It was so  
right having you there next to me like that… and — I — I want to feel that way again. It  
was so amazing. Not just the physical part, although that was beyond amazing… but the  
emotional part — the rightness of you, being there with me. Does that make sense? I – I  
crave that feeling, Lois. I’ve felt so … empty without you. Normally, I wouldn’t have even  
suggested it — but I think my experience with Luthor has made me see things differently.  
I –just wanted to say out loud what I wanted – because I almost …well, I almost lost that  
chance entirely."  
<<You almost died, you mean.>>  
She felt a surge of tenderness for him. He was laying his heart right there on his sleeve,  
and yes, he had almost died. But still – her fears remained, and she couldn’t just cast  
them off like an unwanted coat.  
"I — I — felt that rightness with you too. But… I also — it was also …" She squeezed her  
eyes shut in disappointment and frustration by her own inability to put the past behind  
her. "It was frightening. And — it still is… and –"  
"I know," he said quietly.  
"I guess — yeah — you do. My panicked flight out of your bedroom could hardly have  
failed to have made an impression… I – I mean — are you just talking about sleeping?  
Just… you know — sleeping? R.E.M, and all that?"  
"If that’s what you want," he said, still keeping his voice quiet and gentle.  
"But not what you…"  
"No…" His voice deepened as he imagined the things he did want to do. "I don’t just want  
to sleep."  
The rough husky edge of his voice started building that fire in her — fueled by need and  
fear… it was different from her fear of Kal-El — that had made her sick, tense, and  
miserable. This apprehension almost acted as an aphrodisiac — it was a feeling being out  
of control — and part of her really liked it.  
"What … did you want to do?"  
"What we have been doing, Lois," he said, his voice sending shivers down her spine. "But  
in there… instead of out here."  
"Oh," she gasped out, losing all capacity for language. "Oh…"  
"You can say no," he said gently. "No worries. No anger, no frustration, no aggravation…  
I’m telling you what I want, and I’m asking… but the answer can be no."  
"I know," she said, still breathless, her eyes locked on to his.  
"I’m glad … you — are telling me… what you want."  
He brought his hand up to stroke her face, once again driving her wild by brushing his  
thumb against her lower lip.  
<<Does he know how that devastates me?>>  
"Consider it?" His voice was persuasive in its plea.  
"I — um — I will. Consider it… that is…" she said, with a nervous smile. "Okay?"  
"Thanks," he said, his eyes full of warmth.  
She took a deep breath to try to get her wild feelings under control.  
"Okay," she said. "We have an article to write."  
"Oh, we do? Are you going to share your byline, Ms. Lane?"  
She laughed. "Do you think we should? I think that would bring the gossip mongers into  
our very shadow. I guess I’ll write the article," she said, "but I’m going to need to ask you  
a bunch of questions." She sobered. "Some of it might be upsetting to you."  
"It’s okay," he said, gripping her hand. "Nothing can hurt me when I’m with you."  
Her heart flip-flopped at his comment. He trusted her so deeply, and she was still  
prevaricating as to whether or not she could share a bed with him for the night.  
"So — what happened? Tell me how the date started…"  
"Oh, you’ve been dying to ask that," he teased her with a glint in his eyes. "Admit it!"  
She smiled back unable to hold it in. If he had challenged her like this earlier, she might  
have felt nervous, uncomfortable or even angry. But after all they had been through,  
Carissa couldn’t hurt her anymore — and she welcomed his gentle banter.  
She looked at him, a solemn expression in her eyes as she fought valiantly to keep her  
facial muscles from quirking her lips upwards.  
<<Think of anything unpleasant. God — think of Luthor. Think of Kal-El. Anything. I can’t  
smile!! I can’t let him win this round!>>  
"I hardly think that I’ve been dying," she said, with such utter perfect prim indignation,  
that he burst out laughing. That was her undoing, and her solemn expression gave way to  
delight and humor.  
"Well — I met her at her place… and we drove — "  
"Drove? Not flew?"  
He winced. "I don’t like to fly with strangers — wait… don’t — please… don’t print that —  
then people will feel badly if I’d have to fly with them while saving them… but –"  
"I know. I won’t. But you don’t? It bothers you?"  
"Lois — as you well know…flying is intimate in many ways. And… I just — you know — we  
all have our own idea of personal space. It’s different with little kids — or with people who  
are very wounded… but otherwise…"  
"Wow. I never even thought about that from your point of view. It makes sense — to save  
people you have to often come into close physical contact with them. I guess if someone’s  
really injured, you don’t really think of it as weird — you’re just taking them to help… and  
you’re probably horrified by their injuries more than anything else… but if it’s someone  
who isn’t so much hurt as just in trouble, you have to deal with coming up close and  
personal with people you don’t know, many you might not even like."  
"Yeah."  
"Wow… it’s always so weird to shift perspectives and really look through someone else’s  
eyes. Especially yours."  
"I love flying with you, by the way," he said with a smile. "I mean — I don’t love that it  
upsets you — or scares you — but — I love holding you, and –" his voice roughened a bit,  
and a gleam started to grow in his eyes.  
She looked at him with mock severity in her expression.  
"Clark Kent. If I’m going to write this article, you can’t be doing that. Okay?"  
"Okay," he said, looking down. "I’m sorry."  
She punched him lightly in the arm, not taken in by his fake- contrition.  
"So then what? You drove to –"  
"She drove, actually — and we went to this restaurant that she had rented out for the  
night."  
"If a man did that to me I’d be totally creeped out," she shuddered. Then, feeling a little  
mischievous herself, she looked at him from underneath her eyelashes. "Unless, of  
course… it was you."  
"Now look who’s doing it," he said, giving her his secret-weapon devastating smile.  
"No! No — I won’t be diverted! I have to stay on course! Gosh, Clark — I need to get  
special smile-sensitive sunglasses that darken whenever you do that so that I don’t lose  
all ability to function."  
"Sorry, Sorry… but you started it!"  
"Yes… yes, I guess I did. This time."  
"It was a little…odd… and you know — from my perspective, it made it a little easier to  
not have to be part of a huge media circus… but it was kind of disturbing. I didn’t feel  
personally threatened, but I did wonder if she had misunderstood the reason for our date.  
I thought I’d explained to her, back in Europe, that I didn’t really feel that way about her."  
"Because of how you felt about me?"  
"Yes. I was madly in love with you — there was no way I could ever consider being with  
someone else romantically. And then — we were actually friends, so it almost seemed  
possible at that time that we could someday be something more."  
"I was already hooked as well," she said. "I saw all those articles showing you with these  
beautiful people, and I wanted to scream!"  
He smiled at her. "That’s good to know," he said. "I wasn’t alone!"  
"Okay. Back on track. So when you went to this restaurant — what happened?"  
"She had private staff of course, intimate dinner for two — and she was being very  
flirtatious and trying to be oh so sophisticated in her banter. It was then, that my mind  
started to wander…"  
"Ah — our conversation!"  
"Yes!"  
"Were you really so bored with her?"  
"My god, Lois — I can’t even begin to tell you how bored."  
"You showed me… and yeah, you seemed really aggravated. It was gratifying from my  
perspective."  
"She doesn’t even hold a candle to you, Lois. In looks, charm, personality, inner strength,  
kindness — everything that makes you who you are — she lacks. There was never any  
competition, you know."  
"I know. It was all in my heart. I guess I didn’t have faith in my power to really attract you.  
And… I was worried being around a real woman would open your eyes."  
"It has, Lois," he said. "You are the real woman who’s opened my eyes. You’ve opened my  
eyes to a whole different way of looking at the world. I don’t feel like I’m alone anymore  
— and for me to say that… is huge."  
"Oh, Clark!"  
"I drank a bit of the wine, and that’s the last thing I remember… I remember horrifying  
pain… and then… nothing. The next thing I knew, I was in your apartment… and it made  
no sense whatsoever. Somehow Luthor was trying to convince me that you had set me up  
— that you had poisoned me — and that you had been in cahoots with him all along to  
get rid of the dangerous alien."  
"Oh… my god!" Her tone was horrified. "Please tell me, you didn’t believe him!"  
"No. I didn’t — I was muddled and confused… every time I tried to think of what really had  
happened, I got a searing headache. I’m sure Luthor had managed to leave me some  
strange hypnotic suggestions to make that happen. I don’t know — all I knew is that I was  
trapped, and in pain, and didn’t seem to be able to really wake up. It was like that for the  
rest of the time — until you came. I — I heard Clark talking in the other room, and I could  
vaguely make out what he was saying. He had actually pretended to be the clone –"  
"He did? My god — what did he say? How did he –"  
"Uh… well — he — he started acting all power hungry, and was kind of making fun of  
Luthor for being … weak, and — just in general, acted like a jerk. He had me convinced,  
but then Henderson broke in, and then the rest you know."  
"Wow. I mean — it’s hard to imagine Clark acting anything remotely like the clone."  
"I think it was hard for him to do. I know it would be hard for me to say those things to  
anyone — even if it was Luthor. I’m just glad you weren’t there to see it. I like Clark, and  
would hate for you to see him like that."  
"It’s okay… I would have known it was an act. God knows, I had to do my share of acting  
with the clone."  
"I’m still in shock that you did that… god — you must have been really scared."  
"Clark was the most upset, I think. He was just so agitated after we defeated the clone.  
But it’s okay. It worked… and then – you were very sick… and we brought you to STAR  
labs. How did all that go? From your perspective?"  
Clark finished off his story by telling her all he could remember of his arrival at STAR, and  
his subsequent stay.  
"Are you going to tell your readers that you came over, and decided to have your wicked  
way with me, while I lay vulnerable and asleep trying to heal under Dr. Klein’s wonderful  
sun lamps?"  
"Oh. I was having my wicked way with you? That’s quite a memory you’ve got there,  
buddy."  
"Well, thanks — I always thought that I had a great memory — and –" He stopped talking,  
as she quickly leaned in and kissed him. When she broke off, he asked, "What was that  
for?"  
"To hush your mouth," she said, a smile in her voice. "I think I’ll leave our … activities…  
out of this story."  
"Okay," he said. "But you’ll get more readers if you print it."  
"Clark Kent, if you don’t stop teasing me, I might just call your bluff. How about those  
apples? I can just see the headlines… ‘Faster than a Speeding Bullet? All your questions  
answered.’"  
As soon as those words were out, she flushed pink. She had crossed the line, for sure,  
and now, she had embarrassed herself. Instantly she felt contrite.  
"Uh… although…. I guess I should wait until I actually have answers…"  
She was so busy looking at her feet that she didn’t even notice him moving close to her  
and putting his arms around her. He didn’t really know what to say to make her feel  
better, so he just decided to hold her and let her work out of her state on her own.  
"I’m sorry," she muttered.  
"For what?" He genuinely didn’t know.  
"For being such a head-case."  
"I love you- however you are. And I don’t think you’re a ‘head- case’."  
"But this does kind of bring up a point — and that is — that we’re still hiding our  
relationship. This article that I write — well- I will be involved in the story. It may stir up  
some more … curiosity — I know that people are already buzzing about us. My dad… he’s  
been speculating to my mom."  
"I hope he’s okay with it," said Clark, slightly nervously. "I guess I’ll have to face that  
music sooner or later."  
"My dad doesn’t bite," she said. "I know he really likes you. I’m sure he’ll be fine with  
us…"  
"Lois. You’re dating an –" He stopped, horrified by what he was going to say.  
"An alien? A Kryptonian? I know. Look — Clark — I guess my parents might worry about  
things — knowing my past… knowing about him even… but I think that they won’t be  
able to not love you. Look at me… and then — there’s Lucy. She already loves you. Heck,  
if there had been a chance for you and her- you don’t think she would have jumped at it?"  
"Thanks, Lois."  
"You see yourself as so ineligible. Which is so ironic when you think about it. Women were  
willing to pay vast sums of cash for a single evening of your time."  
"A single evening is very different from a relationship – from the realities of this kind of  
interracial relationship."  
"I make my own life decisions," she said firmly. "And I’ve decided to love you forever. If  
they have a problem with that, it’s their problem."  
"Forever?"  
"Oh. Did I say… forever?" She flushed pink. "I meant… well — as long as this lasts…"  
<<My god. Talk about being pushy!>>  
"Lois. Forever — it works for me too." His voice was gentle as he saw her embarrassment.  
She looked up, and gave him a slow smile that made his own heart skip a few beats.  
"What about the rest of the world," she said. "Is it time to go public?"  
"I wouldn’t complain. The only question I have for you is — will you be introducing me as  
your boyfriend or … your fiancé?"  
<<Silent. She’s too silent. Why isn’t she saying anything? Silent isn’t good. Not in this  
case. Silent is –>>  
"Was that a proposal," she gasped, after she had recovered her voice.  
He winced.  
<<This is worse. Silence followed by confusion. Did she deliberately misunderstand? >>  
"Uh… not a very good one. I guess I should have a ring — and — uh –moonlight… better  
surroundings -"  
"No — I didn’t mean that… Clark — are you seriously asking me to marry you?"  
<<When she says it like that, it almost sounds like I’m crazy for even thinking it.>>  
"I wasn’t going to — not for a while yet — not until I felt like you might be … not adverse  
to the idea… but when you said ‘forever’ and then, felt like you had said too much, I  
realized that maybe now was the right time."  
"Oh my god."  
<<This is definitely bad.>>  
"Or. I could be wrong."  
"No. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean — oh… my god… I — of course- I want  
forever with you, Clark — it’s just that — I’m so used to being a certain way — hiding our  
relationship from the world… and… then there’s the whole ‘Lois Lane won’t get married’  
mentality that I’ve carried around most of my life… this is just…"  
<<She hasn’t said no yet, and she did mention forever again…>>  
"Shifting your perspective again?"  
"You seem to do that to me. A lot."  
<<Is that good? Bad? What? Lois – help! I don’t know what do say or do. I’m really  
confused. Is this leftover from the Kryptonite, or is it leftover from the brain-fog she put  
me in this morning with her wake-up call?>>  
"Sorry?"  
"No. No apologies. Clark. You know that I love you. You know that I always will. And — the  
next logical step for us would be marriage… I know that –"  
<<Logic is bad. Very bad. She said that those Kryptonians prided themselves on making  
logic-based decisions, although it sounds more like they made evil-based decisions… but  
what do I know? I don’t know anything. My brain took a vacation this morning, and it  
clearly isn’t planning on returning any time soon. Logic? Screw logic!>>  
"Screw logic," he said, his voice husky with the emotions he was now feeling. "I don’t live  
my life that way. I’m talking about feelings. Emotions. Real, and raw. I love you. I don’t  
ever want to live my life without you. And that’s why it seems ‘right’ to ask you this now."  
She looked at him, on the verge of tears. "You said the right things again, Clark."  
"So… what do you think? Marry me, live a life of happiness and never ever being left alone  
by the press?" He winced as he said this. "Sorry. I — I know that you spent three years not  
having any real privacy — I didn’t mean –"  
"I didn’t take it that way," she smiled gently. "Though your comment about the press… I  
mean — I am the press!"  
He grinned. "Well, I insulted myself then, too."  
"We can easily handle them," she said. "We know all their tricks. And while many of our  
brethren might actually hate me… they all love you… so I think it’ll balance okay in the  
end."  
"They don’t hate you, Lois."  
"I could list at least ten reporters who do."  
"Okay… but not all of them."  
"Well… Maybe not the new ones. The ones who don’t know any better, yet."  
"Actually, I was thinking of Cat."  
"Oh — now, that’s a definite. Cat cannot stand me. Not one iota!"  
"I don’t think that’s really true. I think that she’s always seen you as a rival…and I think  
she knows you … really don’t have a lot of respect for her… but I don’t think she hates  
you."  
"Do you like her?"  
<<Oh god. Please let this not be a trick question.>>  
"I like her. She’s a very smart woman, an excellent reporter, and –"  
"She’s not a reporter. She’s a gossip columnist."  
"That’s not the easiest job in the world. One thing about Cat — she won’t ever print things  
just for sensationalism sake. She won’t imply there’s something going on somewhere  
unless she really believes it. I admire that — because a lot of people in her type of job  
don’t do that."  
"You just like her because she gives you a break and doesn’t speculate about your love-  
life in her column."  
"Until you there was no need for speculation. She hasn’t been writing about us, and after  
my visit to the office — you’d think she would be relatively convinced that there was  
something at least, going on."  
"Well — maybe …"  
"So why didn’t she write about us?"  
"Because of how she feels about you. She admires you too much to do that."  
"And what about how she feels about you? She never hassled you even though you had  
that mysterious disappearance, reappearance, disappearance…"  
"Well. Maybe. I guess… maybe we could give her the exclusive. Does that sound good to  
you?" "Exclusive on what?"  
"Our getting married, silly."  
"My god! Was that a yes," he asked, clearly in shock.  
"Yes," she said, smiling shyly, as she tilted her head a bit so she could look up at him and  
really make eye contact.  
She squealed suddenly as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He gave  
her a long and loving kiss, and when he released her, she could see the joy that her  
answer had given him reflected in his eyes.  
"Wow. Now, you see… that… that is a great way to convince a woman to spend her life  
with you."  
He shook his head. "This is too much."  
"No. It’s just right," she corrected gently. "But I want to get this story done. Do you want  
to come with me, and we can talk to Cat today? Or — do you want to wait on that?"  
"What do you want to do?"  
Suddenly, she felt shy. "God — I don’t know. I – I…"  
"How about we wait. One major story at a time, okay? We’ll set up a meeting with Cat —  
maybe have her meet us someplace less… open."  
"Sounds like a plan," she said. "I’ll — I guess I’ll see you tonight… I can’t wait," she said,  
her voice suddenly shy. "I’m really looking forward to it."  
"Me too," he said, as he drew her close for another one of his soul-destroying kisses.  
When the kiss ended, she looked at him and said reluctantly that she had to get to work.  
"Want a lift," he asked, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.  
"It’s okay. I have my car, and it’s just easier this way. But don’t think I won’t be asking for  
lifts to get places… in fact… I can see how dating you will be very good for my career."  
"Lois… are you sure you don’t just love me for my ability to get you to a story before  
anyone else?"  
"Would you do that?"  
"Sometimes. But of course — sometimes it won’t be possible — like when I’m part of the  
story."  
"I’m only interested in stories that you’re a part of," she murmured.  
He laughed. "You’d be limiting your career if you only reported stories involving me. But  
you know — I’m glad to give you a lift whenever you want. Drive safe, okay?"  
"Will do!"  
Later, as she struggled to find a parking spot, she found herself mentally cursing herself  
for not having taken him up on his offer. But finally she found a spot very close to the  
entrance of the Daily Planet building. She quickly exited her car, and rushed as fast as she  
could into the building, remembering all of a sudden that she was ‘news’ right now and  
could very well be mobbed by reporters wanting to talk to her about the whole traumatic  
ordeal.  
<<Not on your life — this is MY story.>>  
Gleefully she made her way to the office, feeling that smug sense of joy that she always  
felt when she knew she’d scooped everyone else. This is one of the hardest stories I ever  
won. The price was nearly too high. That thought sobered her, and when she entered the  
newsroom, her gleeful expression had been replaced by a much more sober and  
introspective one.  
So lost in her own thoughts, she didn’t really see the curious looks of her coworkers.  
Curious was an understatement, but Lois still had this ‘keep-away’ aura about her that  
intimidated many — people weren’t so much afraid of her, as perplexed by her — since  
returning from the dead, she was a different woman. Because they were colleagues, on  
the same paper, they didn’t rush her and demand to know the details.  
She made her way to her desk and plugged in her laptop. She typed furiously for about 25  
minutes, and then she hit the submit button. Her story was now in and she could relax  
and think about more important things.  
<<Oh god, Lane. Used to be your job was the most important thing in the world. What  
have you become?>>  
A smile tugged its way on her mouth, and before she knew it, she was trying to hold back  
the wide-open grin that came whenever she thought of Clark, and the way he held her,  
and spoke to her. As luck would have it, Cat happened to look up and got caught up in  
the nimbus of that smile.  
<<That girl is in love. And I’m guessing I know with whom. But… fine good that’ll do me.  
I can’t put him in my column without his permission. Not to my good friend.>>  
Sighing in anticipation of defeat, she walked over to Lois’s desk.  
<<Maybe she’ll give me something.>>  
"Hi Lois."  
"Cat. Hi. How are you?"  
Cat blinked a little at the unexpected politeness of Lois’s response. She had honestly  
expected Lois to raise up defensive hands, and say, "Not now, Cat."  
"Fine. Fine. And… I can see you’re fine too," she said, regretting the words as they spilled  
out.  
<<Damn. This is not the way to get her to loosen up around me.>>  
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean …you’re alive. You almost weren’t, from what I hear. You stopped a very  
frightening and powerful man from taking over the world… from what I hear. Clark’s  
clone? And then… Luthor? That must have been something else. He turned out to be this  
… this… villain!"  
"Well, it’s all in my story, Cat. It’ll be –"  
"I’m not trying to scoop you," she said quickly. "I’m sorry. I was just…trying to say …  
thanks. Thanks for saving the world," she said, and then, she laughed in self-mockery at  
how stupid that sounded.  
Lois smiled. "You’re welcome. I had a lot of help. But … you’re welcome." She shuddered.  
"I’m so glad it’s over."  
"I’ll bet. I can’t wait to read the story. Uh. If you don’t mind my asking… how… is… how’s  
Clark?"  
Lois looked at her directly, and paused, deep in thought.  
<<Clever, Cat. Trying to figure out if I’ve seen Clark since the ordeal.>>  
"He’s fine," she said. "Back to normal. Normal for Clark, that is."  
"Which… is…Super?"  
"Yup."  
"Oh good. What a relief. I — I mean — the fact that Lex Luthor almost killed him — seems  
so ridiculously impossible. And yet… it happened. And he was nearly … you saved  
Superman!"  
"I owed him one. At least one. Several! At least."  
"I’m sure he doesn’t see it that way."  
"No. He doesn’t."  
"So… he’s… he’s fine, then. So — you’ve seen him?"  
Lois sighed. "Cat."  
"I know, I know — leave you alone. I’m sorry, Lois — this is kind of my job. Normally, for  
anyone else, I’d be going in like a … a…"  
"Mad-dog?"  
She grinned, despite her frustration. "Yeah."  
"I know. I appreciate your restraint."  
"Well. So…"  
"Cat, I wasn’t going to ask you to leave me alone. I promise, when there is news to  
publish, you will get the exclusive. Okay?"  
"Really?"  
"Yes."  
"Any idea… when that might be?"  
That smile that had drawn Cat over reappeared on Lois’s face, and she looked down,  
flushing pink.  
"My god. I’m never going to be able to play poker again," she muttered to herself.  
"You never really could, Lois — you always wore your feelings in your eyes."  
"True enough."  
"I’m guessing I’ll be talking to you soon…"  
"Please don’t speculate just now. I need to talk to other people — family –" she said,  
hastily as she saw the rising look of indignation. "Look, Cat, of course I want the Daily  
Planet to get any exclusives it can…"  
"Right. The Planet."  
"Clark admires you, Cat. And he thinks you’re a fine reporter. You are his choice for  
exclusives on his private life. It’s just…"  
"I’m not your choice." "We aren’t exactly the best of friends," she said, wincing at how  
harsh it sounded. "But — you do have a certain drive that seems very… uh… familiar to  
me. Maybe that’s why we always seem at loggerheads. Too much alike in our approach to  
work. But I’m happy to… give you whatever exclusive feels right to give — when there’s  
an exclusive to give, that is."  
"You should write children’s books — you’re starting to sound like Dr. Seuss."  
Lois laughed at that, feeling a sense of lightness at having halfway revealed that there was  
something going on between her and Clark.  
"Listen, Cat. Let’s just leave it at this — an exclusive is forthcoming. Really forthcoming.  
But I can’t let my family read about my life in the paper. They deserve to know things  
before it hits the news-stands. I told them all about what happened with the clone and  
Lex Luthor, so even my story will be old news to them. Okay?"  
"Okay. And… I’ll leave you alone now… but I did want to say… if I’m correct about what’s  
going on in your personal life… I’m happy for you. And for him. And I wish you all the  
best."  
"Thanks, Cat."  
"And… I’m jealous as hell… but — since he’s not interested in me… I’ll be big about it!"  
"That’s good to know," she countered with a smile.  
After Cat walked away, Lois looked down, and forced herself to tackle the items in her  
inbox. It was going to be a very… very… long… day.  
Later, that evening, she knocked on the door, dressed to knock him off his feet. He  
opened the door, and she thought again, for the millionth time that it wasn’t fair for a  
man to look as good as he did.  
"God… Lois…" He didn’t even bother to hide his sensual appreciation of how good she  
looked. "You really are trying to kill me, aren’t you?"  
She grinned up at him as he closed the door behind her.  
<<He used to be afraid to give me compliments. He used to be afraid to close the door. I  
used to be afraid the first time I saw him after any kind of separation. Look at us now.  
Giddy, and crazily in love.>>  
"It’s only fair, when you consider what you do to me," she countered.  
He pulled her close, and gave her a hungry and passionate kiss that took her breath  
completely away. Drawing back slightly, but not releasing her, he asked her the question  
that had been on his mind the entire day.  
"Are you staying?"  
She blushed and ducked her head.  
<<After all we’ve shared this shouldn’t make me feel so shy. And yet… I do feel that way  
sometimes.>>  
"Yeah," she whispered. "I’m staying." Awkwardly, she held up her overnight bag with a  
smile. "See? All packed and everything."  
His arms tightened around her again. He felt a sudden surge of remorse and insecurity  
about her reasons for staying. Did she feel pressured?  
<<She had asked me to take control of things once in a while, and I’m doing that —  
now… and does she feel bullied? Not so much because she’s afraid of what I’d do if she  
said no — but… because she doesn’t want to hurt me?>>  
The urge to let her off the hook was overpowering.  
"Lois. Please — only stay if you want to, okay? And even then — we don’t have to –"  
"Don’t. I promise — I won’t ever … endure … intimacy. I — I’ll let you know if I need space  
or if I’m uncomfortable or afraid. Okay? I — I really like that you told me what you wanted.  
It’s thrilling, in a very sexy way, when you … show me — your … passionate feelings."  
"Just let me know if I ever… make you feel — cornered or anything. Okay?"  
"Deal! So… what’s for dinner! I’m ravenous!" She stopped, and blushed.  
"Me too… wanna skip dinner?"  
"Hey! I’m hungry for food! And you know — the way to a woman’s heart…"  
"Dinner is actually ready. Would you believe that?"  
"Hmm… believe that you might have had dinner ready so that we could move onto other  
activities all that much quicker?"  
"Come on, Lois — I would never plan something like that." The teasing note in his voice  
told her that she had been right on the money.  
She laughed at their easy silliness. She’d never had a relationship with this kind of feeling  
of happiness and passion all mixed in together. She’d never really let anyone see the real  
her… and now, she felt so liberated. She was very nervous about what was to come, but  
this kind of bantering kept her in the moment, and she was really able to enjoy herself  
and her interactions with him. It was obvious to her that he was nervous too and that gave  
her comfort.  
Soon, dinner was ready, and after she took her first forkful she looked at him with a  
glimmer of humor in her eyes.  
"You really are trying to get me to gain some weight aren’t you? You like softer curves,  
perhaps?"  
"I love you however you are," he said warmly. "Don’t think that you ever have to look a  
certain way to be beautiful."  
"You’re just so good at this cooking thing."  
"Thanks, Lois. Anything for you."  
She smiled, feeling suddenly shy again.  
"This feels kind of weird," she confessed quietly. "Knowing that I’m staying — and  
knowing that — that this could lead…"  
  
"Lois. You know — I’ve been doing a lot of thinking… you know… we’re getting married…  
so why not just… wait until we get married?"  
Her heart started beating faster.  
<<But that puts so much pressure on the wedding night!>>  
"So wait until our wedding night?"  
"Or after our wedding night — if you aren’t ready. But not before our wedding night. What  
do you think?"  
"But… but why? I mean — really — if I weren’t afraid — would you want to wait?"  
"It’s hard to really say. But — I’m guessing no. I wouldn’t." He saw her flush, and felt badly  
for his honesty. "Lois… I want you — that’s true… but if we decide to wait — then that  
gives us more freedom to move forward in — discovering each other — without it being  
scary. I know that even kissing can trigger flashbacks, memories of pain and horror —  
feelings of being trapped… and I’m not naïve — I know that because we’ve been  
spectacularly close and it hasn’t upset you, that sometimes even a more casual contact  
might not make you remember things… this gives that added sense of safety- at least… I  
hope…"  
"Oh… Clark — I know I’m safe with you. It’s not that I ever think you’ll act in an  
unpleasant way — it’s just…"  
"Well — I know that I told you that I felt like I was losing control — that day in your  
apartment. I still know that I will feel that way again — but I also know that I’ll stop for  
you. But how well can you really know that? I know that I seem — more like him — when  
I’m –"  
"Not seem! It’s more — just… your eyes… I see that … fire, I guess — oh — bad choice of  
words… not like heat-vision, getting  
branded — I mean — the desire… and it makes me really nervous — but — you never  
really seem like Lord Kal-El. I don’t want you to think you do."  
"That’s a huge relief to hear."  
"And yes — you’re right — I won’t know what will trigger me. Honestly," she said, giving  
him a hesitant look. "I am glad you suggested waiting… and I — I’d like to do that. I — I  
hope I’m ready for our wedding night — but — mostly — it’ll be good to just –"  
"Drive each other crazy for a few months?"  
"Yeah," she smiled shyly. "Uh… How many months?"  
"As many as you want… remembering of course that you don’t have to do anything when  
the day comes either. Lois- I want us to be forever — and you can’t have a loving  
relationship that lasts forever if one person bullies the other into intimacy."  
"Oh… I know," she said. "I just…" Her brow furrowed, as she thought about it.  
<<I can’t disappoint him on the night of our wedding. I simply can’t. I’m going to have to  
be able to go through with it regardless of what he says. He’s being so patient and  
generous, how dare I disappoint him?>>  
He saw that look in her eyes and realized she was putting pressure on herself.  
"Lois. I didn’t suggest this to make things worse for you."  
"Were… you weren’t reading my mind?"  
"No. Of course not," he said quietly. "You had ‘that look’ on your face. The one I’ve  
encountered before. "  
"Ah. Seeing through me without the use of super-powers. Can’t fault you for that," she  
said, feeling foolish.  
"You can see through me too. It’s kind of how this works."  
"I’ll be okay, Clark. But yes — you know that I won’t want our wedding night to be  
anything but perfect… but don’t worry. I won’t ever… bully you into intimacy either. That  
is… I won’t try to … um… fake… readiness, if it’s not there… because then — you’d be  
pretty scarred as well. I wouldn’t want to do that to you."  
"Thanks, Lois," he said, gently.  
She looked down, suddenly embarrassed. "So… now what?"  
"I don’t suppose you would like to dance?"  
Her heart turned a genuine somersault deep in her chest. She remembered how they had  
danced on their last date — how intimidating and scary the idea had seemed, and how  
wonderful and overpowering it had actually been. Her breath caught, as he stood up and  
moved over to where she still sat. Like before, he held out his hand gallantly.  
She smiled. The music had been playing all along, instrumental piano — unobtrusive and  
very romantic.  
"Oh. Yes. I think I’d like that very much."  
His eyes were definitely burning with intensity and emotion, and she answered that look  
with one of her own. He pulled her in close, and brought his arms around her, and they  
started their slow dance without any of the fear or awkwardness that had plagued her  
before.  
The feeling of his body moving so closely against hers was driving her crazy, and if she  
was any judge of these matters at all, it was obvious that he felt the same way. After long  
moments of dancing like that, she pressed a loving kiss onto his collarbone. She smiled as  
she felt him stiffen. He looked down at her and saw the open and inviting love in her eyes,  
and without even really being aware of it, tightened his arms feverishly around her back  
and drew her in for a kiss.  
He kissed her with hungry passion. He wasn’t holding back anything anymore — he was  
giving her the full blast of his feelings for her — both emotional and physical, trusting in  
her to not be frightened by her own feelings of fear… and trusting that she would share  
with him if it got to be too much. One kiss led to another, and then another, and it  
seemed as if they couldn’t get close enough to each other. Her hands wove wildly  
through his hair as she sought to intensify the already intense contact between them.  
She gasped against his mouth as she felt the ground leave her feet. He had effortlessly  
slipped an arm from around her waist so that he was able to scoop her into his arms. He  
continued to kiss her in that same devastatingly passionate way as he walked towards his  
bedroom.  
<<We’re skipping the couch entirely! >>  
Her mind raced as she processed this bit of information.  
<<It’s not like he didn’t say that this is what he had in mind! Should I be scared — should  
I ask him to slow down — oh … god… when he does that with his mouth… I can’t even…  
think… straight. >>  
He felt the trembling of her body in his arms, and he knew that this had to be hard for  
her. He knew he was driving her crazy with need, and yet he also knew that this sudden  
change in the status quo was bound to make her nervous.  
He kept the kiss going, all the while mindful of any indication at all that she wanted him  
to stop, and he carried her into his room, shouldering the door closed behind him.  
She heard that click, and registered the darkness of his room, and she felt fear suddenly  
take its cold harsh hand and squeeze the air from her lungs. Her heart did its part by  
increasing its rate of beats per second, and she froze, trying to figure out what her next  
step should be. Her response to his kiss became passive.  
He felt that change. She was more scared now than anything else. He could feel it in the  
stiffness of her body and the beating of her heart. Even her breathing gave her away. An  
angry thought skittered through his mind.  
<<God… this used to turn him on. Scaring her… hurting her… used to turn him on! >>  
He imagined for a moment what that had to have been like from Kal-El’s perspective.  
Walking into his room — and seeing her there, waiting for him, utterly terrified, but too  
cowed by previous encounters to ever beg for mercy. His arms tightened around her as  
the thought angered him, and she gasped a little.  
He lifted his head, and gazed down at her with eyes filled with emotion she couldn’t even  
fathom.  
"Oh god! I — I’m sorry! Did I just hurt you?"  
"Things just… just got a little uncomfortable for a second," she confessed back, her voice  
trembling now with nervousness and need.  
"I… I was thinking… about him. I’m sorry. I — I won’t ever let that happen again. I  
promise. I’m – I’m sorry!"  
"Him?" She had to ask, even though she knew what he meant.  
"Kal-El." He whispered the name, not wanting to say it out loud – to give it power over  
them.  
"Me too," she whispered back, and his heart broke.  
"You okay?" His voice was very gentle and filled with loving tenderness.  
She nodded jerkily. "Yeah. I’m… I — I — I’m fine."  
"I love you. I love you so much. It’s overpowering."  
"I love you too — desperately and to distraction," she laughed, self mockingly. "I am a  
wreck at work these days… you’re always on my mind."  
"I … I…" He couldn’t speak, lost for a moment in the pure intensity of what he was feeling.  
<<I won’t hurt you. Not ever. I won’t ever leave you like Sam did. I won’t betray you like  
Claude did . I won’t ever take without giving, or take without permission. I won’t ever be  
him… that horrible bastard… Lord Kal-El. I won’t ever make you feel like you’re  
nothing.>>  
"I’m scared," she said in a small voice, the admission torn out of her reluctantly.  
"I know," he whispered back just before he kissed her again with a consuming passion. He  
moved towards the bed, and as he did so, she felt alarm radiating from the center of her  
chest. She wanted this, but she didn’t, and she felt like she wasn’t exactly in control of  
the situation. He was definitely showing her a more assertive side of himself — and she  
wasn’t sure if she should be thrilled or worried.  
<<But he won’t hurt me. I know that for a fact. So why not just give in to it — these  
feelings — even the fear… just ride the wave, and see where it takes us? Because when he  
kisses me like that… oh… like that… >>  
Pleasure mixed with the alarm that was coursing through her, making it impossible for  
her to even think coherently.  
He lifted his head again, and looked deeply into her eyes.  
"I know you’re scared," he said, his voice quiet and careful. "It’s just me, here… and I’m  
not going to hurt you. Also… remember… not before we’re married, right?"  
She nodded, her heart still squeezed desperately by the hand of fear.  
"We can stop this right now," he said, not making a move to put her down. "You can stop  
this at any time."  
She nodded. "I know. I know. I — I don’t want to stop this. Not.. not yet."  
Hearing those words, he placed her on her feet near the bed.  
"I’m glad," he said, kissing her lightly. "Because I really didn’t want to stop yet either."  
"But you would have," she said. It was a simple statement. "You would have, and you  
wouldn’t have made me feel badly about it."  
"Yes."  
"Wow… I’ve never known anyone like you."  
"Same here."  
"So… what… what do we do now?"  
He smiled at her. "You’re wearing too many clothes," he said. "What you’re wearing ought  
to be illegal anyway- but … I’d suggest… less …"  
"Oh," she gasped. "Yeah. It… it might be less than comfortable to –uh — lie down in this. I  
… I’ll — I’ll just go … uh… I’ll just go into the bathroom over there…"  
He nodded compliance, and she self-consciously made her way into the bathroom.  
She was in there a long time, or so it seemed to her own frazzled nerves. Part of her was  
jumpy worrying that if she took too long he would come and retrieve her.  
<<No. He wouldn’t. He may be more assertive than usual, but he’s not going to suddenly  
become aggressive. He’s showing me the side of him that he’s kept in check because he  
knows I don’t want him to do that anymore. >>  
She took off her dress, wondering how he would like the very sexy chemise underneath.  
She had worn it specifically to be seen. By him, but now — in the cold light of reality she  
wondered if it was too much.  
<<No. It’s perfect. Stop worrying about it! No guts, no glory!>>  
She stood by the door, her hand on the knob for a few long moments, and then decisively  
turned the knob and stepped out from her safety-zone.  
The bedroom was empty, and she looked around, perplexed. A hastily scrawled note lay  
on the bed.  
<<Emergency! I had to go! I’ll be back as soon as I can! I love you. — Clark. >>  
She shut her eyes. Of course… he was Superman. People needed Superman.  
She heard the familiar whooshing sound and she whirled around to see Superman striding  
into his bedroom.  
The air left her lungs as surely as if she had been hit hard in the mid-section.  
<<He looks so much like Lord Kal-El. God help me… this is Kal-El. It’s his name, and he  
would have been Lord Kal-El if his world hadn’t blown up!>>  
Immediately she felt her fear reaction setting in. She was pale, and shaking, and she took  
a few hasty steps backward.  
<<Control yourself, girl! He’s not… he won’t hurt you. He’s Clark. Not Kal-El.>>  
Her current state of dress made her suddenly feel like a concubine again — a slave —  
waiting for her master to come in and have his way with her.  
<<No! I’m his equal. We’re equal partners. This isn’t anything like it was there!>>  
He saw her blind panic and cursed himself mentally. Abruptly, he stopped his forward  
momentum.  
"I’m sorry," he said hastily. "I’ll change… I –"  
"No," she said softly. "Don’t… just… hold me… okay?"  
She edged closer, challenging her fears of him like this. She had gotten pretty good  
around him as Superman, but this particular situation — of her barely dressed, and him  
dressed in such a blatantly alien way — scared her to her bones because it reminded her  
of her dark days of captivity. But she needed to rewrite her responses and there was no  
better time than the present.  
He saw her take faltering steps towards him, and he drew her close as soon as she came  
into arms length. He held her close but there was no sensuality in this hold. He just  
wanted to give her the reassurances she needed.  
After a long moment she felt herself regaining some of her poise. Fear remained, but it  
was not over-powering as it had been when she saw him come in.  
"How… how does this suit come off," she asked him, her voice deliberately low and sexy.  
"I have no idea."  
He laughed. "I’ll do it — I –"  
"Maybe you could do it slowly," she teased him. "Like a stripper?"  
"Lois…" His voice held playful warning.  
"You could make a fortune doing that for a living, you know…"  
"Are you suggesting that as a course of employment?"  
"Not on your life! So what comes off first…"  
She watched transfixed as he slowly disrobed for her. He couldn’t bring himself to make it  
really a strip-tease, but he did light up inside at the look of pure enjoyment on her face.  
To see him do this was hopefully making Superman less intimidating a figure for her. In  
fact, he doubted very much that she would ever be able to see him as Superman again  
without remembering this particular sight.  
Soon he was fully divested of the suit, only wearing one small article of clothing.  
"That’s it," she asked? "No … uh… full… ?"  
"Lois," he said teasingly, "you show me yours, and I’ll show you mine."  
She blushed fiercely at his sensual rebuttal. "Uh… maybe… maybe… maybe… later…  
okay?"  
He came over and put his arms around her, and she gasped at the skin on skin contact.  
She could even feel that part of him that was hidden from her gaze, but the fact that there  
were barriers of clothing still between them gave her a sense of safety that she hadn’t had  
that morning.  
<<As if clothing is really a barrier.>>  
She scoffed at her own ridiculous false sense of security over the clothing issue. He was  
so strong — he could rip their clothing away with negative effort.  
<<He could do that. But he wouldn’t. Not unless I asked him. And – maybe someday – I  
will.>>  
He bent his head, and gave her a languorous, slow, passionate kiss — his tongue daringly  
dueling with hers, not holding anything back. As he did so, she felt him harden even  
further against her and she fought back the panic.  
His lips traveled down her jaw, stopped at her neck, and then he lifted his head. "Bed…?"  
She swallowed hard, and nodded, unable now to speak.  
He scooped her up in his arms once again, and placed her on the bed.  
"I could have done that myself," her voice was a low whisper.  
"I know. Do you know why I did it for you?"  
"Wha-why?"  
He sat down on the bed next to where she lay, looking up at him.  
"Because… it’s kind of a control thing. By carrying you, it appears that I’ve taken control.  
And I want you to feel that — that out-of-control feeling … with me… because you felt it  
with him. Only with me — you know that you really have all the control. Just one word, or  
one telepathic message that says ‘stop!’ and we stop. That’s why I’ve been acting a little…

uh…" He paused as he searched for the right word.  
"Masterful," she said, giving him a smile that nearly made all vows of control run in panic  
from the room.  
"Is that what I’ve been," he asked, his brows furrowing in sudden alarm. "Because — that  
sounds too much like –"  
"No. Masterful can be very sexy. Very sexy. Don’t get me wrong. It’s scary too. But since I  
do know you’d never force the issue, then — yeah — it’s sexy. It’s exciting and thrilling.  
And — I’m glad you’re showing me that… side of you."  
Her words were all the reassurance he needed, and he shifted so that he was swinging his  
legs onto the bed. He lay next to her, and raising up on an elbow, drank in the sight of  
her body.  
"Do… do… you- uh… approve?" She was nervous suddenly, well aware of her flaws in  
beauty.  
"Oh, yeah…" his voice was a slow and seductive drawl. She knew he was pleased.  
He furthered the impact of his words by giving her a deep and drugging kiss.  
After a long moment, they broke apart slightly. They were quiet for a long moment, and  
then he broke the silence.  
"How are you doing?" he asked gently, as he traced her face lovingly with his hand.  
She smiled uncertainly. "So far… so good," she said, a sheepish smile on her face.  
"But you’re worried," he asked perceptively as he saw the fear in her eyes.  
"I’m just scared of … unwanted memories. You know?"  
"I know. I am too. I don’t want you to ever have to relive that place."  
"I wish I had some kind of control over it — but I don’t. It’s… it’s just — it’s something we  
have to live with."  
"We," he said, with a smile. "I like that. We."  
She smiled back. "From now on — it’s … everything is our problem. Not mine. Not yours.  
Ours. And I like that too. It makes everything seem more manageable somehow."  
"I never thought I would even have that in my life." His voice held a note of wonder as he  
realized how different his life was now in comparison to a year ago. Two years ago.  
"Neither did I. This is new to me too," she said softly.  
"I take it… no flashbacks or memories yet?"  
"Oh. If I were having a flashback — you’d know… trust me."  
"Yeah," he said. "I guess I would."  
"Just promise me you won’t get upset if I suddenly treat you like –you’re him. I … I — It  
could happen — I could… suddenly revert — and — I — I never mean to hurt you or  
anything. If I start to — freak out — okay?"  
He winced at the idea. "I can’t promise that. Because it’s upsetting to see you hurting.  
When you woke up that day…" he trailed off as he shuddered at the memory. "It was  
awful! But I  
can promise that I won’t be upset with you… only… for you. And… I promise that I won’t  
start distancing myself as a result of it. You won’t ever lose me because of it."  
"You won’t decide that I’m better off without you? Or you’re better off without me?"  
"I promise. I won’t ever decide that for us."  
"Care to seal promise with a kiss?" Her smile was seductive and inviting.  
"Oh. A kiss? That’ll do the trick?"  
"Well — for starters." She felt her heartbeat increase in its rate at the very thought of  
kissing him again and about where it would lead. Excitement and worry swirled together  
in a heady and dizzying combination.  
<<On the precipice again. I can’t get away from that… worry. That fear. It’s just — why  
does he sometimes look so much like Lord Kal-El? He doesn’t always… it’s all mixed  
up.>>  
"Your wish…" he murmured, as he leaned in closer with a gleam of intent in his eyes, "is  
my command." As he said those last words, he gave her another devastating kiss.  
His lips moved over hers slowly, deliberately, seductively, and she responded in kind,  
losing grip on that tiny thread of worry as his kisses made her forget everything but the  
sheer pleasure of touching him like that.  
He wrapped loving arms around her, and pulled her close, and she felt like she never  
wanted to be anywhere else but right here, where she was, with him, like that.  
<<I’m yours. I’ve always been yours. Never let me go. >>  
As if he heard her, he tightened his arms around her, bringing her closer in against his  
body. His mouth ravaged hers, and she responded with equal ferocity. The room was  
filled with the silence of their passion as they kissed each other with an unfettered  
urgency that they were each powerless to control.  
His lips suddenly left hers and began to move along her jaw and then back down her  
neck. He changed the angle of his body so that he was pushing her back onto the bed and  
she felt his weight against her as he single-mindedly sought out her pulse-point.  
She opened glazed eyes to look at him, and she saw the dark shape of him looming over  
her. She felt burning sensual heat where his hands now gripped her waist. He seemed  
almost raw, wild and feral – leaning over her, pinning her back, learning her, claiming her,  
and all she felt was an equally wild passion. Fear was notably absent from the stormy  
emotions buffeting her senses. She knew- with bone-deep certainty that if she lost the  
thread of passion and needed him to stop… he would.  
Desperately seeking to intensify the incredible sensations she was feeling, she tipped her  
head away from him, giving him better access to her throat. He made a sound that was a  
cross between a groan and a growl as his hands on her tightened imperceptibly.  
<<Feels so good. Feels so good when he does that. Oh god. His touch. It burns.>>  
He darted his tongue against her pulse point, and she made an answering sound, one that  
spoke of her deep and wild need.  
Restlessly she shifted her legs, trying to get counter-pressure where she now needed it  
the most. Instinctively, she arched up towards him, blindly seeking to press her lower  
body against his, wanting his hardness. Needing it.  
He broke off his devastating attention to that one tiny spot on her neck and looked at her,  
surprised by her wild response, trying to resist the urge to crush him hard up against her  
as he took in her bright eyes, flushed face, and lips that looked like they had thoroughly  
been kissed.  
<<She’s a temptress. I may just die tonight. What an incredible way to go.>>  
He watched the agitated rise and fall of her chest under the lace and silk of her lingerie.  
<<She’s the sexiest woman in the universe. In any universe. I want to tear that silky thing  
off her. I want to tear it off and … oh god… maybe we can get married tomorrow!>>  
“Lois,” he whispered, unable to say anything else at this time. His voice was very deep  
with passion and he desperately wanted to bring her up close again and feel every single  
inch of her against every single inch of him.  
<<I want her. I want her now. I want to rip that off, and bury myself in her heat.>>  
She gazed at him, hypnotized by the love and passion in his eyes. So beautiful. He’s so  
beautiful. Instinctively, she reached out a hand to tentatively touch the muscles in his  
arms and chest.  
<<So powerful. So gentle. Such a paradox.>>  
She felt her throat tighten as she realized how close she had come to missing him. And  
then – once they connected, she nearly lost him. She shuddered, and as she did so, she  
saw the raw desire in his eyes turn to concern.  
“Are you okay?” His voice held urgent worry. “Is this too much for you?”  
“I just… I – I almost lost you,” she whispered, unable to speak against the pain of the  
recollection. “After pushing you away for so long… I almost lost you. I almost lost this. Us.  
I wasted so much time,” she said, her voice tight with emotion.  
“We’re together now,” he murmured gently. “That’s all that matters.”  
“I should have recognized you,” she whispered. “My soul-mate.”  
“Oh, Lois…”  
“You recognized me.”  
“You would have recognized me if you hadn’t… gone through hell,” he countered gently.  
Her hand traced up and down the side of his neck, and whispered across his shoulder. He  
closed his eyes against the wonderful feelings her touch was arousing.  
“Oh, god,” he said in a voice that sounded like a growl. “It feels so good when you touch  
me.”  
“It feels so good to touch you,” she said, her voice suddenly taking on a more sensual  
tone. Again, she moved her hand across the muscles of his chest, looking at him with a  
sense of wonder.  
He drew her close again, taking his own sweet time about it, trying to prolong the sensual  
torture. He could see the impatience growing in her gaze and felt a surge of love for her.  
He kissed her, and she immediately opened her mouth to him, arching upwards, trying to  
deepen the pressure of their kiss by wrapping her arms tightly around him. Once again,  
his desire for her grew fierce and strong, and he felt himself losing grip on his awareness.  
Alarmed, he broke off the kiss, trying to regain some of his control.  
Protesting the loss of his mouth against hers, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and  
pulled him close again, this time initiating a kiss that threatened to set him on fire again.  
Her tongue daringly licked his bottom lip, encouraging him to deepen the kiss. He needed  
no second invitation, and his tongue thrust into her mouth in a way that was blatantly  
sexual. He continued to thrust his tongue, and then recede, mimicking, perhaps  
unconsciously, the sexual act itself, and she felt jolts of thrilled sensation shoot through  
her with each thrust.  
He broke the kiss off, and began to kiss her along the side of her jaw. His mouth traveled  
down to her neck where he knew that she loved to be kissed, and he began to thrust the  
tip of his tongue against her pulse point again, drinking in the special perfumed scent  
that was all her own. His tongue drew circles in a very lazy and erotic pattern, and she  
gripped onto him tighter, trying to draw him closer. She shifted her legs so that one leg  
actually hooked around his leg, and she tried to pull him closer, trying to increase the  
contact between them.  
As he lavished devastating attention on that tiny and sensitive area of her pulse point, his  
hand began to gently roam her body. He brought one hand to cover her breast, and the  
sensation of his hand over the lace cloth covering her nipple sent heat through her in a  
way that she could hardly bear. She arched her back to increase the contact, absolutely  
thrilling to the feeling of his touching her there.  
Given strength by her response, he began to gently flick his thumb against her hardened  
nipple, drawing out a strangled gasp from her throat.  
He moved his head so that his eyes were in contact with hers, needing to reassure himself  
that her reaction wasn’t a negative one.  
“Good?” He asked, his voice a husky rumble that sent shivers down her spine.  
“Oh,” she gasped back. “So… much more than good. Again? Please – touch me like that –  
there – touch me again.”  
His eyes darkened to pure black, as his pupils dilated with the pleasure her words gave  
him. He kissed her hard, not holding back any of the desire he was feeling. She thrilled to  
this blatant display of passion as wild and disconnected thoughts ran through her mind.  
<<I want him! I need him! I want… oh god… I want…>>  
His hands were roaming her body now with more confidence. Again, his hand caressed  
her nipple through the lace of her garment, and his thumb began to flick across it again  
in a way that made her mind completely turn itself off. All she knew when he did that was  
she wanted him to keep doing it.  
<<Oh! Keep doing that. Never stop. Never ever stop. >>  
Her other nipple felt bereft in comparison. The attention he was giving the one made the  
other crave it all the more, and she kept arching up, hoping he would give her the contact  
she needed. She wanted to tell him, but in order to do that, she would have to break off  
those wonderful scorching kisses, and she couldn’t – absolutely couldn’t do that. His  
kisses were too addictive.  
He felt her body’s reaction and smiled inwardly. He knew he was driving her crazy – he  
knew what she wanted – and he wanted to torment her a little – torment her with good  
feelings, to drive her wild, to make her fears take a holiday as her body responded to her  
more primitive urges.  
She whimpered deep in her throat.  
The sound spoke to him in his very soul, and he broke off the kiss, and looked into her  
eyes. “Tell me what you want,” he whispered.  
The sensual rasp to his voice sent shivers down her entire body.  
“Touch me,” she gasped, her whisper shuddering all the way. “Touch me more. I want  
more – I want…”  
“Touch you… here…?” He brushed a feather light caress over her other nipple, causing her  
whole body to arch towards him in frustration.  
“More, Clark! More – harder than that!”  
He responded by giving her already-stimulated nipple a firmer caress, once again  
ignoring the other one, deliberately trying to drive her insane. She groaned in frustration.  
“No! I want – the other – I – “ She trailed off as her cognitive functions started shutting  
down again.  
He pulled back a bit. “I could really drive you wild if you let me take this off,” he said with  
a smile that broke down all her resolve.  
“Oh,” she gasped.  
“Too much? Too soon? It’s okay –just tell me – I don’t want to – “  
“Help me get this off,” she gasped, wanting nothing more than to get out of her clothes so  
that she could get some direct stimulation without the pesky lace and satin in the way.  
He sat up a bit, pulling her up with him. He gripped the hem where it lay against her mid-  
thigh, and he very slowly drew it up over her body, skimming it against her all the way.  
The feeling of his hands grazing her body as he did this drove her wild, and she wanted to  
scream at him to just tear it off. With great resolve, she held back, enjoying the slow  
torture.  
He pulled it off over her head and shoulders, and threw it to the side.  
She felt a slight dimming of her passion as self-consciousness worked its way through  
her at being so completely exposed to his gaze. She looked at him, her eyes wide with  
emotions she couldn’t even express, waiting to see his response.  
His eyes darkened further. He was overwhelmed both by the beauty of her body, and by  
the amazing amount of trust she was showing him.  
“You are so beautiful,” he breathed. “So beautiful. I need to come up with synonyms to  
beautiful, but – it’s all I can think of when I see you.”  
She still felt shy and awkward under his gaze, and she desperately fought back those  
feelings, not wanting them to lead her back down the path to fear. Desperate thoughts  
raced through her mind.  
Kiss me again, Clark! Do those things to me. Make me forget everything but how good  
you make me feel!  
Beating back her shy apprehension, she lay back down, hoping soon to be wrapped in his  
arms again. She felt safe in his arms, at the center of the storm. Nothing could hurt her  
there.  
“I believe you said something about driving me wild,” she said, her voice trembling with  
need and nervousness.  
“Oh… yeah… I think I remember that.”  
“Well get down here, and… get on with things,” she mock-scolded him.  
He gave her another one of his dazzling smiles.  
<<That MAN. He has to know that smile devastates me. He absolutely HAS to know.>>  
He dropped down to her side again, and without even giving her a second to worry about  
it, he pulled her close up against him and kissed her passionately.  
Her body was acting purely on instinct now, and she arched her lower body towards him  
trying to get contact and friction where she needed it most. She needed to feel him up  
against her, driven by the passion that his touches and kisses were igniting.  
He moved his mouth from her neck, and she fought the urge to grab him and hold him  
there. She waited, her body tingling with anticipation as to what he would do next.  
Again, his mouth crushed over hers with a hungry and wild passion that took her breath  
away, she moaned deep in her throat. Encouraged and aroused by the sound, his hand  
moved up over her skin – up to cover one of her breasts. She had been aching for his  
touch there again, and was not disappointed. The heat from his hand seemed to burn into  
her as his hand closed over her painfully erect nipple. His own breathing was rapid and  
shallow evidencing his growing desire, and she knew that if she moved just a few inches,  
she would bring her body in contact with that part of him that was growing harder by the  
second.  
He broke off their fiery kisses, and moved his mouth down across her jaw, her collarbone,  
and even further down. Gasping, she closed her eyes at the onslaught of shock and  
passion as she felt his mouth close over her nipple.  
His mouth was warm, wet, and hot. With his tongue, he toyed with her nipple endlessly,  
and she felt her entire body getting swept away by desire.  
<<I want him. I want him inside me. I want him to come inside me. Oh god – we said we  
would wait… I – I need him! Now!>>  
She arched her chest towards him, wanting to deepen the contact, desperately wanting  
him to stimulate her other nipple. She grabbed his hand, and pushed it down against the  
other nipple, making a strangled sound of need in her throat. He took pity on her  
frustration, and he began to expertly give the other breast the stimulation it needed, and  
she slipped deeply into the waves of sensation.  
<<I’m lost. I’m found… I belong. I belong to him. He … he belongs to me.>>  
He felt his own passion slip out of control, and he lifted his head in a desperate bid to  
regain that control. It was in vain. He saw the feral gleam in her eyes, and was unable to  
stop himself from kissing her again, this time, letting her feel the weight of his body as it  
covered and pressed against hers.  
The mix of feelings inside her was making her dizzy. The raw passion of what was  
happening was terrifying in the way that a roller coaster ride is terrifying. She was moving  
up towards the top, and a part of her was clamoring for her to urge him to deepen this  
further. To take him into her heated body.  
Once again, he broke off what he was doing, and lay back, his breathing labored.  
Tenderness and passion tangled in his gaze as he turned to look at her.  
“Lois,” he gasped. “I need to take a break from this!”  
She smiled, a slow and catlike smile. “Are you sure?”  
“Oh please…” it was the plea of a man who was drowning. “Please don’t look at me like  
that.”  
“Like what?”  
“Like you wish I hadn’t stopped,” he growled, the desire gleaming in his gaze. “Like you  
wish I … “  
“God, Clark – right now- I don’t know what I’m feeling,” she said, desperately. “I … I – it’s  
like… I’m addicted to your touch – I want more – I – I didn’t want you stopping!” “I… I had  
to,” he said, looking at her with helpless need. “If I didn’t… I might not have been able to.  
I couldn’t risk that.”  
She nodded, mimicking understanding, when all she really felt was frustration and  
untended need.  
“Lois, you’re still looking at me like that,” he pleaded with her, begging her to help him  
keep his promise to her.  
“I know,” she gasped. “I can’t help it.”  
“Maybe I can help you,” he murmured, his voice dropping a few notes, as he started to  
feel the desire whip back up into a conflagration. He placed his hand on her abdomen,  
and moved it in slow circles as he drew her in for another passionate kiss. Not releasing  
her from the kiss, he moved his hand lower, making sure to move slowly so not to  
frighten her.  
She stiffened slightly as she felt the downward motion of his hand. Fear shot through her  
like a javelin.  
His hand grazed the top of her thigh, and before she could give any legitimacy to her  
fears, her body was flooded with renewed desire – hot and sudden. In anticipation of a  
more intimate touch, she could feel herself once again slipping into the storm of her  
desire. She lost all thread of conscious thought, and arched blindly upward, her body  
seeking the counter-pressure where it needed it the most.  
<<Oh god! Touch me. Touch me there!>>  
Sensation occluded all else.  
<<If he doesn’t touch me soon, I’ll die.>>  
He had felt her initial stiffening and had been ready to call a halt, to retreat, to offer forth  
a worried query, to shift his position to a more comforting hold and intent. But her quick  
reversal … from worried to wanton… it sealed his determination to give her the pleasure  
she craved. The pleasure she deserved.  
Her frantic arching movements acted as his guide – he moved in the direction of her  
wordless urgings, feeling the heat radiating from her center as he slowly… torturously…  
approached.  
His hands drew gentle circles on her thigh as he first moved down, and then back up,  
teasing, tantalizing, but never really following through with the promise of his touch, and  
he smiled inwardly as he felt her frustrated response.  
She whimpered deep in her throat and arched again, seeking to make it obvious, by the  
movements of her body, where she needed that hand to be.  
Taking pity on her, and realizing that he shouldn’t really push his luck in this situation, he  
moved in the direction that she wanted.  
She gasped at the onslaught of sensation as his thumb caressed her most sensitive areas  
through the wet silk of her underwear. She arched up hard, seeking to intensify the  
contact and the resulting sensations nearly made her lose consciousness. Desire. Hard.  
Driving. All-encompassing. She wanted. She needed. She hungered.  
He lifted his head, breaking off their kiss, needing to see her. He was denied eye contact.  
Denied the connection he now craved. Her eyes were closed. Her face was locked in some  
kind of inner tension. She seemed lost to him completely at this moment… somewhere  
else, in a world of pure sensation.  
She set the rhythm that her body demanded, arching wildly up against him, and he  
responded by caressing her with a firmer touch, matching her rhythm by moving his hand  
in time with her body to offer her the stimulation that she now demanded.  
Her thrusts increased in rhythm and pace and she was making wild sounds of need deep  
in her throat. He knew she was coming closer and closer to her release, and he  
cooperated by increasing the speed and pressure of his thrusts.  
Suddenly she made a gasping sound, followed by a cry deep from her throat.  
<<My god. Is that a sound of pain? That sounds like pain!>>  
He looked at her worriedly, easing off some of the pressure, and her eyes snapped open.  
She looked at him through glazed eyes, dimly registering the beauty of his face and form  
as he looked down at her, an expression of deep worry in his eyes.  
“No!” She cried out, wincing hard.  
<<Oh god! I’ve hurt her! I – I’ve – I’ve hurt her. I used too much force. I should have been  
more – >>  
“No! I need – I need… harder!” Her voice was a primal wail as she tried to get him to touch  
her again with the right amount of speed and pressure.  
<<God, So close – I – I have to – I have to – do it myself!>>  
She grabbed his hand fiercely with her own, digging her nails into his pliant, yet  
invulnerable flesh, and she pulled him up hard against her, assisting him with the final  
thrusts, moving his hand faster and more fiercely than he would have ever had the  
courage to do so. She was completely unaware of anything at that moment in time except  
her own need for completion. One final thrust, and then she arched up hard, stiffening the  
muscles of her body. Her body was one taut line. Holding his hand motionless against her  
damp silk-covered flesh, she cried out as her orgasm wracked through her, darts of  
pleasure piercing through her core… they were almost painful in its intensity, and she  
winced again as the feeling crashed through her.  
He saw the expression, and would have withdrawn – would have eased the contact of their  
bodies, but her fierce grip on his hand told him to let her take control.  
<<It looked like she was in pain. Maybe it’s pleasure so hard that it’s pain. God knows I  
know what that’s like… I’m feeling it now myself.>>  
Spent, she sagged back onto the bed, releasing her death grip on his hand. Breathing  
hard, she opened weary eyes and smiled at the man with the dark brown eyes looking  
back at her with such an expression of bemused love in his eyes.  
“God… oh god… that was…” She gasped out, trying to let him know how incredible she  
felt. “I mean – you just made me feel so damned good. That was incredible. Just  
incredible.” Her breath was still coming in hard gasps as she spoke. She felt her heart  
pounding as she slowly moved back into a calmer state.  
“God, Lois,” he gasped out, his own voice filled with amazement and awe. “I’ve never…  
well – you know I’ve never… but I never expected… that was incredible. I just never knew  
it could be like that… “  
<<I forgot. He’s a virgin. >>  
“You didn’t find me to be… a little… unbridled?” Her voice was suddenly unsure. She  
remembered full wells how the Kryptonians were so contemptuous of human excesses of  
emotion, and she couldn’t really shake the fear that he might find her disgusting on some  
level… or even amusing. She wasn’t sure which would be the worst of the two.  
“Unbridled?” His voice was rasping again with husky overtones. “Yes. And amazing. Awe-  
inspiring… Lois – seeing you like that was so wonderful. I – I just never knew,” he trailed  
off, clearly overwhelmed by the experience.  
“Oh… Clark…”  
Her eyes were shining with unspoken feelings as she looked at this man who was so  
amazed by her own physical response. He hadn’t even… and she had … and he was still  
acting like he’d been the one to receive a gift.  
“Lois. You are so beautiful in passion. So unbelievably beautiful. I have never known  
anyone more beautiful than you, and you have never been as beautiful as when you … let  
go like that.”  
“Clark,” she said softly. “I want to do the same for you… I want to bring you that kind of  
pleasure…”  
She saw and felt his withdrawal, even though he didn’t move an inch away from her. She  
could feel it in his stiffening.  
<<He can’t be afraid?>>  
“Clark? That wasn’t exactly the response I was expecting.”  
“Lois. You don’t have to do … I don’t… it might be… scary… and – “  
“Scary?”  
He looked at her apprehensively, debating whether or not to try to explain. He saw the  
intent look in her eyes and knew he wouldn’t be able to get past this without telling her  
the truth.  
“When – you… you grabbed my hand. You dug your nails into my hand, and gripped it  
really hard. I – I – I mean – obviously you didn’t hurt me… but I could… I could… hurt  
you.“ He winced as he said this, not wanting to remind her of darker times, but at the  
same time, he couldn’t withhold the truth of his own fears from her. She already knew he  
was nervous about the idea of losing control while in the middle of all this passion. Seeing  
her own reaction had emphasized how much a loss of control was really involved. In those  
last moments before her climax, Lois had been completely lost in her passion.  
She paused in silence for a long moment, considering his words. She wanted to allay his  
fears, but she had to admit to herself that she was also a little afraid of what might  
happen.  
“You’re afraid you might do something like that?” She didn’t want her voice to belay any  
hint to him that she might also be afraid.  
“You know I am,” he said quietly. “I’ve never… been with a woman before. I don’t know  
what my reactions are like, and yes… I’m afraid of them. And – I’d be afraid of … scaring  
you too. Because of what you’ve already been through. Seeing me in that moment…  
wouldn’t it… couldn’t it … have negative repercussions?”  
“I won’t… lie to you. It does make me nervous… the thought of seeing you like that… of  
being here with you through that… but – another part of me really wants to… see you like  
that.”  
“I know,” he said, stroking her face gently. “I … you know, it doesn’t have to happen  
tonight. It’s not like it’s the first time I’m…. fired up… for you… and… “  
“You did it for me.” Her voice was barely audible, and he could hear all the guilt in her  
voice at the idea that she might leave him unsatisfied after he had been so generous  
about relieving her needs.  
“Lois, seeing you like that brought me a great deal of pleasure.”  
“I should be able to do it for you,” she continued stubbornly.  
“How about if I said I wanted to wait… if I needed a little more time to get used to the  
idea…”  
“I’d say you were lying a little… to make me feel better.”  
“Lois, my worries about losing control aren’t false… I really am worried about that.”  
“If… if I had asked you to forget about our idea to wait until we’re married… if… if I’d  
asked you to make love to me… all the way… when we were kissing like that… earlier…  
wouldn’t you have done it?”  
“I wasn’t really thinking very clearly then,” he said uncomfortably. “My… my …  
hormones… I guess… were doing all my… decision making.”  
“Well – so you would have?”  
“Oh. Absolutely.”  
A thrill ran through her at the idea.  
“Then… what’s different?”  
“I’m thinking now… my brain is actually in control again.”  
“I’ll bet I can change that,” she said, her voice dropping a few notes.  
“I know you can,” he said, his own voice slightly strained as her words took effect on his  
flagging arousal. “I am confident that within a few minutes you could disable my brain  
again…I’m just… asking you not to. Is that okay, or does it make you angry or hurt?”  
“Neither angry, nor hurt,” she said, trying to hide the relief from her voice. “I… I won’t  
bully you into intimacy,” she said with a wry smile. “I think after all the generosity and  
patience you’ve shown me, I owe you that much.”  
He flashed her smile. “Thanks, Lois.”  
She yawned suddenly.  
“Oh… god… I’m sorry. I guess I’m tired.”  
“Sleep… tomorrow we have a big day ahead of us… right? I mean – tomorrow, we tell your  
parents?”  
***  
Clark woke up first.  
He lay there a long while looking at the sleeping woman in his arms. In repose she was  
beautiful and relaxed. She looked so vulnerable lying there, and he felt an intense surge  
of protective tenderness mixed with an anger which was now like second skin to him.  
<<Lord Kal-El. Used to wake her up. He used to wake her up out of her sleep to force  
himself on her. Oh god… what if he fell asleep with her? What if when she wakes up, she  
thinks I’m him at first? What if she thinks she’s back there? What if I fall asleep again and  
then start to float? What if he floated? I can’t let that happen. I can’t risk that happening. I  
have to get up now, so that doesn’t happen. But then, what if she feels abandoned? I  
mean — I don’t want her remembering all the men in her life who weren’t there for her  
when she needed them. I … I guess the best thing I can do is something completely un-  
Kal-El-like. Un-Claude- like. I’ll get up and make her the best breakfast I can make…  
pamper her, make her feel really special and loved.>>  
With that in mind, he extricated his limbs from hers and gingerly eased himself off the  
bed.  
<<Whew! Finally… managed to leave her asleep.>>  
Some time later, Lois woke up alone.  
<<Where am I? Oh.. Yeah. Clark’s.>>  
Her mind wandered lazily as she remembered the events of the night before. She felt  
warmth invade every part of her body as she recalled his passion, his tenderness and even  
how masterful he had been at times. His unflagging generosity — all the while giving…  
easing off when he worried he was frightening her. And she hadn’t been frightened… not  
much anyway, and in the end, she had experienced moments where she felt fully able and  
willing to consummate the relationship. A far cry from the frightened woman she had  
been a little over a year ago, unable to even look him in the eye.  
<<Where is he? An emergency? Superman needed somewhere? >>  
The sounds and smells emanating from the kitchen answered her question.  
<<He’s making breakfast.>>  
An image of Clark wearing nothing except an apron popped into her head, and she fought  
to stifle the giggle which she knew he would hear.  
<<I don’t want him thinking I’m giggling about last night.>>  
She sat up, and stretched, enjoying the sensual feeling of the movement.  
<<Oh god… last night… he was so… incredible… and he did it all for me. How did he  
cope — he didn’t get any release… did he have trouble falling asleep? Oh god… I hope  
not…but I fell right off, and it’s no wonder… he really helped me….to relax…>>  
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, and realized she was mostly naked.  
<<Maybe I need that apron. I can’t go out there like this… especially with my… brand… I  
have to borrow something…>>  
She had clothes to wear, but wanted to shower before wearing them.  
<<A robe?>>  
She got up and padded over to his closet.  
<<He’s so neat. But I guess cleaning up doesn’t tire him out or take up any time. Hey …  
another great thing about marrying Clark… he can do all the housework… of course…  
then I’d just be taking advantage of him… and that wouldn’t be right… would it? Would it  
be so bad to rely on his superpowers and indefatigable nature to get certain things done?  
>>  
An image of Clark staying up all night with a crying baby formed in her mind, and she  
flushed, thinking that someday soon they would be that intimate… someday soon they  
might have a baby.  
<<I guess I’d be the one getting up… if I was nursing… which I expect I’d do. And… I’d  
have to teach our children sports… because he could really hurt them… so I guess I’ll be  
doing my share of work. Which is good. As it should be… but I’ll never have to clean  
another tub again…here’s something. Silky. And… black…>>  
She held it up and looked at it… his robe… a sensuous silky robe that would cling to him  
in a very appealing way… but it was black… and black… well… black was scary. Very  
scary. A Lord-Kal- El color.  
She visualized Clark wearing his robe and her heart clenched in dread.  
<<I can’t wear this… it’s too… too much… maybe someday I’ll be ready to see him in  
this… but … why does he have to like black? I mean — it totally suits his coloring, and he  
looks beautiful in black, but — he scares me like that… I can’t let something like that get  
the better of me though. I can’t marry someone and then be afraid of them when they  
were a certain color… or outfit… like Superman — like I freaked out on him yesterday… I  
have to conquer that before we marry.>>  
She took a deep calming breath.  
<<Okay. So here we have t-shirts. Neatly folded of course…. And look — a Daily Planet  
shirt. Perfect.>>  
She slipped it on, and it hung down to her thighs.  
<<Huge … but what did I expect… he’s a big guy… a really big guy… in all the places  
where big is …beautiful. Okay. Lois. Stop thinking about that. Because I’m not sure if it’s  
scary or sexy… and that’s freaking me out.>>  
She stood nervously for a few moments.  
<<Will he think I look silly?>>  
Gearing up her courage in the face of her sudden shyness, she forced herself to walk  
through his bedroom door.  
He looked up at her as she came out, taking a momentary break from his final touches on  
breakfast.  
"Hey," he said, with that big devastating smile that removed all thought from the forefront  
of her mind. "You look *very* sexy in my shirt."  
She smiled, feeling extremely shy, and forced herself to maintain eye contact.  
"Thanks… I should have brought a robe…"  
"Hey, you could have borrowed mine… but you look really amazing the way you are."  
"Yeah… I … thought about it… but… it was too big, so I went for this."  
"It’s … you."  
"It’s a Daily Planet shirt," she said unnecessarily. "Extra large of course… like all the ones I  
once had… remember my rant about logo tee-shirts?"  
"I remember it well," he smiled.  
<<Why had we even been talking about that? Oh… oh yeah…. Because I showed up in  
black. God — it’s a good thing I didn’t wear that robe…I hope that robe didn’t upset her…  
>>  
"So… I figured the Daily Planet shirt would be appropriate."  
"Definitely," he said, forcing his mind back to the present. "Especially as I gave you my  
job. You might as well have my shirts too…"  
"You… what? You didn’t give me your job — hey… I got that job fair and –" She trailed off  
as she saw the twinkle in his eyes.  
"Okay, wise-guy."  
"I know you got it on your own credentials, Lois."  
"You gave up your job for me… didn’t you." She was sober now as she aimed her gaze  
directly at his.  
"I… left the Daily Planet because I wanted you to feel safe there. It was your home first,  
Lois… you deserved to be able to go back without having to deal with me."  
"Oh Clark…"  
"And honestly… it hasn’t been that bad. I get to freelance, and spend more time helping  
people out."  
"Don’t you miss it?"  
"The daily grind? I mean… I did… but I’m comfortable with how things are now."  
"You know- if you went back – maybe we could be partners."  
"We are partners… and I think overlaying that with partnering at work might… be… uh… I  
don’t know — most people… don’t want to work with their … spouses…"  
"Too much togetherness," she asked lightly, trying to hide her hurt at the idea that he  
might feel that way.  
"Oh God. I could never have that… but you might someday feel a little stifled… or — you  
know… I don’t know. Right now, all I want is to be near you…"  
"Me too," she said, relieved. "It’s so… intense. It’s a good thing that we’re going to tell  
people soon – I know I can’t hide how I feel when you’re around."  
"Uh… right…"  
"Clark?"  
"You know… breakfast is going to get cold… how about we eat — and then we talk about  
this…okay?"  
"Um… sure."  
She eyed him worriedly as she sat down, easily slipping into the role of being served  
upon.  
<<A girl could get used to this.>>  
After taking her first mouthful she smiled at him broadly.  
"Okay, already — you got the job… stop being so darned wonderful at everything."  
"You’ve never heard me sing." It was meant as a joke, but a sudden horrific thought hit  
him.  
<<Did Kal-El ever sing? >>  
"Mmm… well… I won’t press you to sing for me now… but… you’ve aroused my curiosity."  
"Aroused, you say…"  
"Clark…" Her tone was warning, but her eyes twinkled.  
"Lois… okay. Let’s talk about this…"  
"Did you… change your mind," she asked, her voice suddenly small. "I mean — if you  
did…"  
"No! No… I didn’t. I couldn’t… I’m so hopelessly in love with you."  
"Oh no… don’t break out into Olivia Newton-John tunes…"  
He grinned at her. "I can’t do a falsetto — I’m only capable of so much, Lois…"  
She blushed as she remembered some of his amazing capabilities the night before.  
<<He’s a natural at that… that’s for sure.>>  
"Okay. So you love me desperately… so… why are you … afraid?"  
He winced and then stood up agitatedly. He paced a few steps away from her. Silence  
dragged on for long moments, and then he turned to face her, his expression clearly  
showing some kind of inner turmoil.  
"Clark? Come on… you can tell me anything. What’s wrong? Are you … afraid to tell  
people… is it too … final for you?"  
He moved with urgency back to the couch, forcibly tempering his speed to that of a  
normal human. He sat back down next to her, and took her hands lovingly in his.  
"Absolutely not," he said earnestly. "It isn’t that… not anywhere near that… I just… it’s  
scary, Lois. Facing your parents with this news… I – won’t … what if they mind?"  
"You’re afraid they won’t like it. That they won’t like us… together."  
"I’m almost convinced that they won’t."  
"Clark. You’re a wonderful man. The whole world thinks so… what? What is it?"  
"I… you know how last night I had to go out on an emergency run?"  
"Yeah," she said flushing a bit as she remembered her embarrassing reaction at seeing  
him as Superman. "I’m really sorry I got all weird on you…"  
"No… no! I’m not — it’s not that. I… I — it’s just… people treated me differently. I could  
swear they were treating me differently — on account of the clone… on account of the  
way he behaved. I could see it…feel it… it was awful…fear…"  
"They were afraid of you? Because of that idiot? Come on — they must have read my  
article by now," she said, her outrage increasing by the second. "I explained everything  
that happened. It’s on the evening news, for crying out loud! If these people don’t know  
what happened by now…they’re stupid. You were the victim… not the aggressor!"  
"Lois — I think they all know that it wasn’t me… but his behavior must have kind of  
reminded people how dangerous I could possibly be… I mean… how can I really expect  
people to …trust me to that level?"  
"I trust you," she said quietly.  
"I know," he said, leaving the rest unsaid.  
<<But you didn’t always. Once you feared me. Once you hated me… once you wrote  
scathing articles about how I was going to take over the world.>>  
"I guess I shouldn’t throw stones," she added. "You know… living in this glass house of  
mine…"  
"Lois…"  
"Clark. I know I acted … I know I treated you horribly when I first came home, but I had  
good reason to be wary of you. I suffered for three years in another world at the hands of  
a man who … you resemble… and… that’s bound to have an effect on a person. But these  
people only had the clone in their midst for a day… how fickle! One stupid day… and they  
turn against you?"  
"Lois, to be fair, nobody was yelling ‘alien, go home’ at me. It was just… a new wariness,  
one I hadn’t seen in a while… and –"  
"In a while?"  
"When I first… outed myself as an alien… everyone was inclined to treat me with a great  
deal of caution… and who can blame them… I’d have felt the same way in their shoes…  
things did get better… and then…" He trailed off again, unwilling to tell her how her  
articles changed the tide of public opinion.  
"After my series… after I started writing my articles?"  
<<Damn. She’s too astute.>>  
"Well… yeah… it did get a little weird… but… you know — things have been good lately -"  
She grinned at him. "You did earn points by saving us all from the asteroid," she said,  
briefly breaking the mood with humor.  
"I guess… yeah, it kind of did feel that way. I didn’t do it for that reason …"  
"No. You did it because you were the only one who could, and knowing that, you had to  
do it. That’s the kind of man you are, and if people can’t see that… then I feel sorry for  
them. It’s not … you don’t have to feel like you need every earthling to approve of you —  
to not fear you… it’s okay if some do… you –"  
"It may seem like it’s okay," he said quietly. "But it hurts me, nonetheless. I know it’s  
crazy. But it does."  
"I’m sorry," she said repentantly. "I really have no right to say what should or shouldn’t  
hurt you."  
"It’s just that… I — I hate it when people are afraid of me. It makes me feel awkward,  
uncomfortable… and… nervous… it’s just not a fun place to be."  
"I must have really hurt you then," she said, feeling guilty.  
"Well… yeah, I was hurt that you were afraid of me… because I loved you, so it hurt that  
you were… but you know I don’t blame you for it or anything… you know that, right?"  
"I do. But it hurts me to hurt you. I know it’s crazy… but it does."  
"Point taken," he said, smiling at her deliberate mimicry.  
"So you think that because people are warier of you thanks to your clone, that now my  
parents will be less accepting of our relationship?"  
"It’s more than that, Lois… but yeah, that’s a part of it. First… I’m an alien. Do you  
honestly think anyone ever watches their little girl grow up thinking ‘I hope she settles  
down with a nice extraterrestrial?’"  
"Oh… Clark – it’s not like people have really had that option to think that way… if we lived  
in a more… galactic community, don’t you think we’d have broken through those barriers  
by now? I know we humans can be very insular and bigoted… but… eventually we try to  
evolve past it…even if it takes us a long time."  
"I’m not blaming anyone for feeling that way, if they do… but just saying that it’s possible  
they would, and it would make me feel bad to … know that I was found lacking on the  
most fundamental level by people who would soon be family. Family is very important to  
me… you know?"  
"I know," she said softly.  
"And then," he said, wincing at her in apology. "There’s the whole… Lord Kal-El thing. The  
fact that he hurt you so horribly. Won’t they think it’s weird that you’re with me after all  
that? Won’t they be afraid that I might… hurt you someday? If not physically, then… just  
emotionally, because I … resemble him?"  
"Clark," she said evenly. "I can’t promise they won’t worry about all this stuff. Parents are  
very strange sometimes when it comes to protecting their kids. But… I can promise you  
this… I love you. I will always love you. I want us to marry. I also want my family to be a  
part of our life… so… they will… get over it, if there is any ‘it’ to get over. I’ll be at your  
side… through it all… for better, for worse…right?"  
He gave her a loving smile.  
"Right."  
Much, much later, Lois leaned against the warm and solid body of her future husband,  
enjoying the closeness as they sat on a warm sandy beach watching a beautiful sunset.  
She wasn’t exactly sure where they were, but they were alone, and that was all the  
mattered.  
"Now that wasn’t so bad, was it? Less like pulling teeth than you’d imagined?"  
He flashed her a perfect smile.  
"I… have no idea what pulling teeth is like. Sounds really awful though, and definitely one  
of the benefits to invulnerability."  
"I’ve never had one pulled either," she smiled back. "I take good care of mine and have  
been gifted with good genetics, as far as that’s concerned."  
"Lois, it was fine. It was… it was incredible actually."  
"You really mean that."  
"Yeah. I do."  
"Many guys view the whole ‘meeting-of-family’ as something to be borne."  
He took a deep breath.  
"I guess… I did. But not for the reasons you probably are alluding to. Lois — I was really  
afraid they wouldn’t approve."  
"My parents have not approved of most of the decisions I’ve made in my life, and it’s  
never stopped me from forging ahead on a path that seemed right to me."  
"This is different."  
"I told you though that I made decisions for myself as far as… forever is concerned… you  
seemed to believe me at the time… do you think I’d have changed my mind based on a  
negative parental reaction?"  
"No. Absolutely not."  
"Then — it’s… you really wanted their acceptance.. Their approval meant something to  
you on a deeply personal level."  
"You got it."  
"You were close to your parents… their opinion meant a lot to you." It was more a  
statement than a question.  
"Everything, but then again. I was just a kid. However… I know the other Clark has a very  
close relationship with his parents, and … well, I can imagine that their opinion on what  
he does means very much to him."  
"They sound worthy of that. Many parents aren’t. Many parents can’t let their kids make  
their own decisions without … being negative. Mine were like that, once, and they seem to  
have been replaced by pod people. Say. As our only resident alien, you wouldn’t have  
anything to do with that, would you?"  
The incredulous look he sent her made her clap a hand over her mouth to prevent a loud  
guffaw.  
"Lois, really…" His tone was injured and indignant.  
"Oh. Now I’ve offended you?" Her grin negated the seriousness of the question. Lois Lane  
was the one person who could make such a crack to Clark Kent and not have it contain a  
single ounce of sting.  
"Never." The smooth huskiness of his voice sent shivers throughout her body.  
"So… you’re happy then? I mean about my family?"  
"Yes… you… you do think they were being sincere… weren’t they? I guess I don’t know  
them well enough to know if they weren’t — and –"  
"Yes. They were. At first, I could see that my mom was terrified, and yes… I was afraid she  
was worried about… well — offending you… but it didn’t take long for me to figure out  
that she was mostly afraid of upsetting me."  
"I saw that your mom was nervous… but she did end up relaxing. I’m just glad nothing  
awful happened."  
"Awful? Like what?"  
"Like Sam hauling out a shotgun loaded with kryptonite bullets."  
She giggled. "Clark!"  
"Heck, even if it had been a water gun- just the idea that he felt that strongly would have  
been painful."  
"Poor Clark," she said, soberly. "It can’t be easy being on the fringes of everything. I mean  
— people love you, but… feeling like… you’re still not really fully welcome — that has to  
be hard."  
"You make me feel welcome. That’s all that matters… isn’t it?"  
"I generally think mine is the only opinion that matters," she said, a twinkle in her eyes.  
"So now…now what?"  
"Talk to Cat?"  
"We need to tell Perry. We also should tell Lana. They both deserve to know first. And  
then… we go public."  
"Wow. Public."  
"Which is just in time, when you think about it," she said. "Lana’s wedding is in a few days,  
and now — we can go as a couple."  
"A couple. I like that."  
"Oh… god… but what about Lana? I mean — won’t she feel upstaged? And after I already  
ruined her first… wedding… well — not so much her wedding — but her engagement —  
and I know it wasn’t me — but –"  
Lois was babbling, and that meant she was afraid. He gripped her hand gently, stopping  
the flow of words with his touch.  
"Lois — we can wait on the whole public aspect, if you aren’t ready."  
"I am ready! I’m sorry, Clark. I know you — you’re trying to be mindful of what I need –  
but I am ready. I just — it’s just so… it’s kind of frightening — the idea that I’ll be that  
much in the public eye."  
"Oh… yeah… you will be. I’m sorry. I can’t do a thing about that."  
"It’s okay. I’ve faced far worse, and survived. Besides — many of the members of our fine  
guild are actually afraid of me. That’ll work in our favor."  
"Seriously though. Are you going to be okay with that?"  
"I .. I don’t know. Since — since… my imprisonment… I haven’t really wanted to attract a  
lot of personal attention — to me… as a person… I mean, even my article series, which  
gave me quite a bit of … fame, of a sort… I didn’t want that fame. I just wanted … um…  
well… I did it because I felt… I…"  
"It’s okay, Lois. I’m not … injured by that. I know — you felt you were protecting your …  
world… your people."  
"It was so stupid of me. How could I look at you and see a  
threat?"  
"Lois, if you traveled back in time to the person you were when you returned to this world,  
and you swore up and down to her that you were her, from the future… and you told her  
you had had a change of heart where I was concerned… I’m laying 100% odds that she  
would still have considered me a threat and continued on her mission to stop me from  
whatever she perceived my ultimate plans to be."  
"Well… maybe… but then, she wouldn’t have known that I was her. She might have  
thought I was just an alternate Lois — or … a … an imposter. But then, I’d … have been  
able to tell her about our shared past, and…oh… yeah… my burn mark… that’d be a  
direct giveaway… it looks too — unusual — too … well — Kryptonian – and…" She trailed  
away, her expression becoming distant and worried.  
"Lois?"  
"I… I just … I just thought… " she said, her face pale and drawn.  
"What is it? What’s wrong? Are you feeling all right? Is — oh god- are you having a panic  
attack — or -"  
"Oh. No. I’m — I’m feeling fine. Clark. No — I just… I have a very distinctive burn mark on  
my body. Clark! I can’t ever go see a doctor. I mean — what if someone thinks…" She  
winced in disgust at the thought. "What if someone thinks you did that… I — what if  
someone thinks … that we’re that twisted that…" She winced again. She looked at him,  
stricken.  
"Clark, what am I going to do? I can’t ever see a doctor? I mean — that’s just not possible,  
and — I think I need to get a doctor’s checkup before we can get a marriage license, and  
— and — god — what am I going to do about it? How am I going to explain this away?  
How am I going to –"  
"Lois. Please. Please… calm down. Please? We can work this out, but –"  
"It’s just — Clark — it’s so — it looks like your symbol — not exactly — but kind of — and  
— almost anyone seeing it is going to think you did it — except people who really know  
you — I mean — that goes without saying, but then — maybe someone might think …  
god… I can’t have people thinking you would do that. I can’t have people thinking that …  
that I would want you to do that… or that you would do that to me against my wishes, and  
that I’d still stay with you. Then — don’t you see — people would start thinking of you in  
terms of my article series — they’d think that you had somehow … well- hypnotized me  
into loving you — as a way to amuse yourself — revenge for the articles — and then —  
and then — nobody would trust you, and — they’d try to find a way to stop you –" She  
paused her frantic discourse, and shut her eyes, trying desperately to get herself under  
control.  
Opening them again, she looked at him fixedly.  
"I have to get rid of this burn mark," she said, her voice now level again, the thread of  
panic that had been in her voice was temporarily subdued.  
"Um… okay. That — that makes sense… just… how… plastic surgery?"  
"No. I can’t… I mean — I can’t. Right? I can’t go to a doctor — the doctor will see it, and  
then the next thing you know it’ll be all over the internet… and –" Panic had entered her  
voice again, and she seemed to be ramping up again. "Worse… even if the doctor and the  
doctor’s staff could be trusted… the fact that I was getting plastic surgery would probably  
get out, and that would be damaging as well."  
"Okay, Okay — that was just a first suggestion," he offered hastily, trying to get her back  
to problem solving mode. "I — I — a tattoo might be an easier thing to … hide from the  
public. I mean — not the tattoo — but the… circumstances… the oddity… I’d have to go  
to an out of the way shop — someplace where people don’t talk — ever — about who  
comes in, and what they have done…"  
He winced at that. "A creepy tattoo parlor sounds … like… something that would make me  
really uncomfortable as far as your personal safety — and –" He trailed off, not ever  
wanting to make her feel like he was dictating what she could and couldn’t do.  
"Well… I mean — what about… what about you?" An idea had come to her. A terrifying  
and awful idea, but it was the best idea yet. The one that offered up the most discretion.  
"What about me?"  
"You… you could help me …" Her voice was very small as she made the suggestion.  
"I don’t know what you mean," he said, his voice suddenly wary as he took in the physical  
change coming about her. She was stiffening and tensing. She was afraid and he was  
suddenly afraid to know why.  
"You could remove my burn mark," she said quietly, forcing him to deduce what she was  
talking about.  
"I… I’m not a doctor…and… I — I — I’m not a – tattoo… artist… and…"  
"You’re a Kryptonian. With the power to burn things with your eyes."  
He was flabbergasted. He felt like he had known the idea as soon as it had come to her,  
but his mind had shied away from believing that she would ever even propose something  
like that.  
<<Hurt you like that? Scar you like that? Mark you like that? Never…never ever!>>  
Now, it was his turn to be pale. He leapt to his feet, moving away from her as if burned by  
her very touch. His soul felt seared.  
"I…"  
"Clark. This would work. You could just… you know…"  
She was trying to be calm and matter-of-fact about it, but he caught the trembling in her  
voice and turned to face her. She looked so vulnerable — offering forth an idea that  
resonated with horror for her. Not even taking a moment to decide if now was the right  
time for physical contact, he reached out for her and pulled her close, trying to gain and  
give comfort in their embrace.  
"I couldn’t," he said, his voice muffled by her hair. "I couldn’t. Ever."  
"Even… even if I asked," she whispered, the trembling still there. "Even if… if… I… needed  
you to do this?"  
"You…" He pushed away from her gently. "You… you can’t …. I can’t. I can’t do that."  
He felt like he was going to dissolve into an emotional mess if she didn’t stop this. He  
kept thinking of Kal-El, and what Kal-El had done to her, and how it must have been so  
absolutely horrible for her, and he couldn’t ever imagine himself doing something like  
that. Hurting her like that… even if it’s what she wanted him to do. How could he ever  
forgive himself for doing that — and even more to the point… how could she?  
"You won’t," she said, her voice defeated. "And so now, I have this huge problem — this  
huge stupid problem — and I don’t have any way of getting around it — any way that  
might not completely destroy our … peace… imagine if people thought that … you did  
that? Imagine how … imagine how we’d be treated — by others- by the press — it’s be  
horrible — and –"  
"I can’t!" His voice rose, and he found himself, to his utter dismay, shouting the words,  
flinging them out there in angry denial of what she was asserting.  
<<Oh god. Oh god. Oh god, oh god. I yelled at her.>>  
She flinched away in learned action, and he closed his eyes calling upon every possible  
deity in the universe to come to their aid.  
<<Help us. Make this turn out all right. Please!>>  
"I’m sorry," he said, looking away from her, ashamed by his outburst. He was startled  
when he felt her hand on his arm.  
"No. Don’t be sorry," she said, her voice tight with her own emotional struggles. "I … I  
know I — pushed you –"  
"Please… no," he groaned. "Don’t say you pushed me into it. That just has such horrific  
connotations…"  
"Clark. I asked you to do something that goes against everything you believe in. You’re  
entitled to actually get upset over that."  
He took a deep and calming breath. "So now what. What do we do? I mean — you know —  
please — please — please — tell me, you know that I can’t do this. You understand? You  
get this? Please?"  
"I … I do…"  
"I mean, how could I do this — to you- of all people — I couldn’t do it to anyone, but to  
you? And then — I mean — you — how could you bear it? How could you even hold still?  
Nobody could… it’d be a natural physical reflex — to try to avoid the heat — to … to  
move away from — and I couldn’t just … hold you … down… so –"  
"You… could sedate me."  
"Sleeping pills? You’d still wake up — you’d be in so much pain – you’d still… wake…  
up…"  
"No. Anesthesia… something that would — that you’d give someone for surgery."  
The tone of her voice. That of making plans. Of putting things in place. It terrified him.  
"Lois — we can’t… we can’t… get that… at the local drugstore – and – getting anesthesia  
any other way — you just don’t ask your doctor for it — and — god — talk about your bad  
press…"  
"Clark… what about Bernie Klein? He’s got to have access to stuff like this. And he can be  
trusted right, to be discreet? He — we could explain the whole thing to him — and once  
he knew — wouldn’t he want to help us out? I –"  
"Bernie. Oh god. I forgot. Of course. Bernie. Yes… yes… I do think he could help!"  
She saw the gleam of an idea growing in Clark’s eyes, and felt dread suddenly at the pit of  
her stomach. All along, she’d been trying to convince him to do something to her that  
would be absolutely terrifying to her. And now — now that it may have worked — now  
that he may have been convinced — she felt a sudden urge to get as far away from him as  
possible.  
<<No! No — I changed my mind!>>  
"Wh — what … do you mean? How…"  
"Oh — god… no — no — no — not that," he said, pulling her close again, trying  
desperately to reassure her with his touch. "Never that…"  
"Then what," she asked softly. "How could he help?"  
"Lois — he’s a doctor. He could… alter the look of your burn mark — you know? Or… do  
some surgical procedure to remove it — or — or something. I’m sure he could come up  
with something. Would you be willing to go see him? To go talk to him about this?"  
"That depends on you — I mean — are you willing for him to know about — the other  
world…the other you? Maybe — maybe it could turn him against you –maybe he’d start  
trying to find ways of stopping you – so… so if you ever… I mean — we both know you  
never would — but what if he started thinking that you could?"  
"It’s a chance… and I’m willing to take it."  
"Okay."  
"Thanks… Clark."  
"Ready to go back," he asked her softly, holding out a hand to her. He still approached her  
cautiously, not wanting to jar her into bad remembrances.  
"Wait… wait… okay?" Her voice was nervous and strained.  
He looked at her carefully, suddenly worried that all this discussion around her burn mark  
had brought up her fears back to the surface.  
"What’s wrong?"  
"I… do… do you want to see my scar? Oh… god. That sounds like the world’s worst  
pickup line, doesn’t it? But… do you? Uh… want to see it? I know — I know you’ve already  
seen it — but — you didn’t… with my knowing about it… and — I — I kind of wanted to —  
share it — that sounds stupid, doesn’t it? Hey — let me share my disfiguring mark with  
you — because we all know the way to a man’s heart –" She stopped the outflow of  
increasingly panicked chatter when he came over to her, and grasped her hands very  
gently.  
"Lois. Of course… if you … if you want to show – me — I’ll — I’ll …"  
"Good. So it’s not like I’ve just made both of us very nervous or anything," she laughed  
nervously.  
"Nope — no nervous people here."  
She flashed him a weary smile, grateful that he didn’t try to talk her out of believing he  
was nervous. She could tell that he was –it was obvious in the stance of his body and in  
the look in his eyes.  
Resolutely, she stepped away from him and his hands dropped effortlessly away from her.  
Suddenly, a vision hit her minds eye — of backing away, of hands clamping tight on her  
arms, holding her — pulling her in. She squeezed her eyes shut, and gasped as she tried  
to dispel the image.  
He held his breath. Waiting. What was going to happen?  
<<If she has a panic attack, how do I get her out of here? I’m the only flight out of  
here.>>  
She opened her eyes, and they looked so weary. So tired. Fed up. Anger shone in the  
brown depths. Anger at Lord Kal-El. Tempus. Anger at herself.  
<<I should be past all this by now. How can we ever hope to be married if I still act this  
way?>>  
"Lois — you know — this can wait… till… never… if you…"  
"No. You have to let me do this… okay? Don’t talk me out of it."  
"Okay."  
She waited a few long moments as if mustering the courage, and then, in a surprisingly  
swift and graceful motion, slipped her shirt off over her head.  
Clark winced internally as he felt his own body respond to the sight of her.  
<<I can’t. I shouldn’t want her. Not now. Not in this situation. Not when she’s showing  
me this horrifying thing. Not when she’s so scared — so brave… I can’t let her know that I  
want her. But…she looks like a mermaid standing there… the sea, her hair — that body…  
think of something else! The scar. Think of that. Think of anything but how beautiful her  
skin gleams.>>  
Lois saw his inner struggle.  
<<It’s okay, Clark.>>  
She turned slowly and moved her hair aside, baring the mark to his gaze, trying  
desperately not to slip back into the bad memories of how she got the scar in the first  
place.  
He didn’t move — remaining a safe distance away from her, giving her the space he felt  
sure she must need. He looked at her scar, and he was taken aback by the anger that  
suddenly raged to life within him. The scar was a distinctly alien symbol. Menacing. Cold.  
Ugly. It also seemed disquietingly familiar.  
After a few short eternities, she let her hair fall back and turned to face him.  
"Not so pretty, huh?" She tried to sound nonchalant.  
He felt his heart pounding wildly. Panic set in.  
<<I have to calm down. God, she’s going to know I’m angry.>>  
"Horrifying," he breathed out. He wanted to hold her. To comfort her. To comfort himself,  
but he sensed her need for distance — and he respected it.  
<<She needs me to be strong, so she can be strong. I get that.>>  
"Hey. Flatterer. That’s just what ever woman wants to hear…" She attempted to lighten the  
moment but then stopped as she realized how stupid it was to even try. "Uh… thanks…"  
"Thanks?"  
"For… for facing that. I’m sure you didn’t want to."  
"I …"  
"Do you understand now? Why I need to rid myself of that? "  
"I did before. But now…"  
"If someone saw it, and thought you did it — I couldn’t bear that. Couldn’t bear the gossip  
— the suppositions — the insinuations… the weird looks… not about that. You know?"  
"I know."  
"Could you stand it?"  
"If people thought… that… I… well — I’d be pretty unhappy about it — but you know —  
Lois, I wouldn’t want you to go through anything for just that reason alone. To allay my  
own feelings."  
"No. I assure you — your feelings, while important, are not paramount in this situation.  
This time, it really is all about what I want."  
"As it should be."  
"So… we’re Bernie-bound now?"  
"Yeah."  
"Well…come on! Don’t dawdle. Up, up and away — and all that!"  
"Don’t you want to put your shirt back on? Not that I’m complaining or anything…"  
Some time later they walked in together into Bernie’s lab.  
"Clark. Lois. It’s really good to see you both again!" Bernie’s enthusiasm was genuine.  
"You may feel a bit differently once you hear what we’re here for," said Lois nervously.  
"Is something wrong?"  
"Well… not…exactly. Actually… something’s right. Clark and I have decided to get  
married. We haven’t gone public yet –because we wanted to tell our family and friends.  
So… that’s one reason we’re here."  
"Oh… well… well… that’s just…That’s just… wonderful… it’s wonderful.  
Congratulations… I’m sure you both will be very happy together."  
Clark gave Lois a warm smile.  
"I know we will be."  
"I do too," she said, smiling back at him as she gripped his hand warmly.  
"Is… that’s not the only reason you came, right?"  
"Not exactly. I… we need to tell you something — something that may change how you  
view the universe — and… it’s… as a scientist… it could be upsetting — or …  
overwhelming — or annoying — I don’ t know –" said Lois nervously. "It’s kind of mind-  
boggling."  
"Okay…"  
"Bernie –do you believe in the idea that there may be multiple universes?" Clark decided to  
just bite the bullet.  
"That’s an interesting question… why do you ask? I mean — I guess — it’s an interesting  
theory, and one that has some merit — but…"  
"Okay. I’ll cut to the chase… we …we know that there are alternate universes… we’ve  
been to them, and — people from alternate worlds have been here."  
"Okay…"  
"We aren’t crazy, Bernie," said Lois hastily. "If you talk to Inspector Bill Henderson of the  
Metropolis police force, or Perry  
White, you’ll find that they’ve met people from other universes as well."  
"Um. This could be some kind of mass — hysteria — and…"  
"It isn’t," said Clark firmly. "Lois … disappeared for three years. In those three years, she  
was actually in another universe. She was kidnapped by… well… she was taken there  
against her will…and forced to live there, until someone else found out about it, and  
rescued her."  
"You… rescued her?"  
"No. Somebody else. If I told you who – you’d surely think I was insane."  
"Uh…"  
"Okay –so maybe you think we’re crazy now. But — you know that Lois — supposedly  
returned a few years back only to disappear again?"  
"Yes. She was instrumental in you becoming Superman, according to what I’d read — but  
then — she disappeared again, only to return again a bit later…"  
"Hating my guts. The original … the woman who was here before — who convinced me to  
… expose my alien origins — she didn’t hate me. But Lois — this Lois — she did."  
"I thought that was strange — when she started her campaign against you — sorry — I  
guess I shouldn’t talk about that."  
"It’s okay Bernie," she said awkwardly. "People are going to mention it when they find out  
about Clark and I. I better get used to it."  
"Lois had good reason to hate me, Bernie. The world she was forced to live in was overrun  
by Kryptonians — their leader was my – uh –identical counterpart, and he was vicious and  
cruel. He treated Lois very badly, and when she came back home she thought that I would  
turn out to be like him. She had no choice but to start her investigation."  
"Then how in the world did you two ever get to this point — the point where you’re  
considering marriage?"  
"It’s been a long, strange trip, Bernie," laughed Lois mirthlessly. "Too long, too strange…  
but in a nutshell, I couldn’t find any evidence to really corroborate my fears — everything I  
learned about Clark indicated that he was a good man. We got to know each other during  
the asteroid crisis, and after that we started to spend more time together… one thing led  
to another, and now — we’re getting married."  
"Look. I mean — you two — are terrific — wonderful — I like you both a lot — respect you  
both a lot — but… is this some kind of ‘fool the scientist’ gag. I mean — it’s not like  
you’d be the first to do it."  
"Bernie. I think I can convince you — just…" Lois gripped his hands, and attempted to  
form a mental link with him. She didn’t think physical contact was necessary, but she was  
trying to stack the odds in her favor.  
Bernie gasped as images flooded his mind. He saw Lois, saw her captor — saw what that  
world had been like. He twisted his hands away from her and backed away in horror.  
"God… my … my … god…."  
"Kryptonians are telepathic," she said quietly. "And… I … I guess… being around them  
woke that up in me — maybe all humans have this ability."  
"But — but what you showed me — was… unreal… and that … that… that man… he — he  
looked like you," he said, turning shocked eyes back to Clark. "But he wasn’t — he … he  
was so… different — and – "  
"Horrible. He was horrible."  
"He hurt you," said Bernie, uncomfortably. "Right?"  
"Right." The word came out. Taut and full of pain. "And that’s why we’re here."  
"You want to go back there? You want to -" He turned to Clark "You want to avenge her…  
or –"  
"No. Well. Yes. But no…. Lois… has this mark on her back — that he gave her. He… he  
used his… heat vision. He branded her, Bernie," he said, the pain evident in his voice. "He  
left a mark of…"  
"Ownership," said Lois quietly. "It’s… not a random burn mark. It looks kind of like Clark’s  
symbol, and I can’t go around with that on my body. People might get the wrong idea,  
and then — well — it could get ugly for Clark if people started believing in the fear-  
mongering stuff that I perpetuated with my articles. I want it removed… and I — we — we  
didn’t know how to get that to happen. I — I asked Clark to do it — with his heat vision,  
but he refused, so… so — then — we thought maybe you could help us."  
"You wanted Clark to burn you?"  
"I didn’t want him to," she said quickly. "I just want it gone. And that seemed… a good  
idea."  
"Can you help, Bernie?"  
"Well — you know — this kind of thing… reconstructive techniques — it’s not anywhere  
near my specialty… and — I’m not …"  
"You are our only hope."  
Bernie looked at her a long moment with an air of unease. Finally, he exhaled forcefully,  
and nodded.  
"Okay. I… I’ll help. I … I want you two to be happy. I don’t want anyone thinking Clark…  
would do that to you… or that… you would want him to do that to you… I’ll help."  
"Thank you," she said in heartfelt tones. She reached out and gripped his hand. It  
trembled under hers and she saw him fight to not recoil.  
"I’m… I’m sorry about the… uh… mental… uh –"  
"Mind-meld?"  
"Yeah…" She grinned. "Call me Spock, I guess."  
Bernie did not smile back. "You know… you really need to keep that thing … under  
wraps."  
"I know — it was upsetting. I’m sorry — I only did it because –"  
"I mean… if … if the government… ever found out… you… you’d have a high price … on…  
on… your head. Specifically… your brain."  
"What?"  
"Telepathy would be a powerful weapon against one’s enemies. I can easily see  
unscrupulous agents wishing to get your brain tissue on a Petri dish. Many Petri dishes…  
so they could learn how you do it. Really. Lois. Lay low with that. Okay? Please. I know…  
personally… people who would — without giving second thought about the utter  
unconscionable nature of the act — kill or kidnap you to learn how you do it."  
"Dissect me like a frog," she murmured, shaking off a sudden chill that ran through her.  
"Oh … Clark… is this how you feel?"  
"It’s … I’m … less worried about that now, Lois- but… I hadn’t thought about you in that  
context… and … Bernie’s right…"  
"Oh. Don’t worry. I agree. I’m not letting anyone know. Bernie. Thanks."  
"You’ve been through enough hell," he said vehemently. "It’s the least I could do."  
"What about… her … scar?"  
"We can cut it out, and then replace it with a skin graft."  
"So — cut skin from somewhere else," she winced. "I guess… I mean — it makes sense…"  
"We can grow skin… from your own cells. Using… um… some information we obtained  
from… Luthor’s cloning experiments, I’ve been able to do some pretty amazing things.  
Cloning skin is… now… it’s easy."  
"Wow," she said, her tone suddenly bothered. "I’d hate to benefit from what Luthor did."  
"Lois — it’s the best… I don’t know…revenge? Getting something good from what he did."  
"Clark, he … he was going to kill you."  
"But he didn’t. And now — we can use his ill-gotten information – you can spare yourself  
getting skin removed off your body for grafting purposes. If Luthor knew he was helping  
us, he’d be furious — and that alone makes it worth doing."  
"I… I guess."  
"It’s simple," Bernie piped in. "And it doesn’t involve embryonic stem cells, in case that  
bothers you. We can take stem cells from your ovaries and use them to grow new skin  
cells without creating a zygote."  
"That seems unreal."  
"It’ll take about a month to get the skin we need, and then we can do the procedure."  
"Oh. God. Bernie. Thank you. Thank you so much."  
"My pleasure Lois."  
"I… I don’t want to go through insurance companies — I want total discretion — so- so I  
can pay you –"  
"No. No fee. Nothing. Lois — like I said… it’s my pleasure. I want to help — and I’m glad I  
can. That’s it."  
Smiling, she nodded. "Okay. But you know — if you ever need anything…"  
"Having my tail saved by this guy here stopping a huge asteroid from hitting the Earth  
clears any and all imagined debts."  
"You know — I did it because I didn’t want the Earth to be destroyed… I live here too.  
Nobody owes me anything."  
"Fine. I’m doing this in the name of furthering scientific discovery."  
"Well. When you put it like that…"  
Clark suddenly stiffened, and his expression became distracted. Distraction quickly  
morphed into distressed, and Lois placed a worried hand his arm.  
"Trouble?"  
"Major. Mudslide in –"  
"Go!"  
"But –"  
"Go! Tell me the details later. Go!"  
"You — I should get you home –"  
"I’m a big girl. I’ll take care of getting home. Clark… Go!"  
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You’re amazing. Thank you, Lois…"  
"I’ll be at Lucy’s," she said. "Please call me when you get back. Let me know you’re okay."  
He nodded, and then all but vanished as he sped off at super speed.  
She stood and watched the space where he had been for a long moment.  
"Wow…" breathed Bernie. "That’s… that’s just… wow… I mean… life with … Superman…"  
"Clark’s had to live with Superman for some time. Now he gets to share the experience… I  
hope having me to share it with will make it easier for him."  
"It will. A life… a burdened life…. It’s hard. But love — the right love — understanding  
and…support… that can make the burden seem inconsequential."  
"I guess you’d know a lot about leading a burdened life," she said quietly. "All your  
brilliance – must have pushed you on a similar path as Clark? You have these abilities, and  
you use them for the greater good — at great personal cost…?"  
"It’s not the same… not nearly the same. I do my part. Just like you do yours."  
"How often have you just slept here?"  
"Well — how often have you gone all night searching or staking out a story?"  
"But anyone can do my job. I do it for my own desires — to be something… to achieve…  
the awards even… you … your skills are pretty rare."  
"Well. I don’t know about that. But if what I go through is any comparison… it has to be  
brutal being him."  
"I think it is. It has been. But… you’re right… finding that right love in your life — it  
changes everything."  
"I better start looking then."  
"Oh? Need any help?"  
He grinned at her. "Know any other women as terrific as you?"  
She flushed. "Stop it. I’ll never get out of here if my head gets too big."  
"Speaking of which — do you want me to drive you home?"  
‘Will you go home afterwards, or come back here?"  
He hesitated a moment too long, and she shook her head resolutely.  
"No. Bernie. I’ll get a cab."  
"But — Lois…"  
"I’ll get a cab. I’ll be fine. Okay?"  
"Okay."  
An hour later Lois got out of her taxicab and let herself into her sister’s apartment. The  
aromas emanating from the kitchen were tantalizing.  
"God, Lucy — that smells great."  
"I made Indian food tonight. Chicken Tikka Masala…and Pakoras. Rice, and the usual  
suspects."  
"You made Indian? With all the available takeout and delivery?"  
"I like to cook. It’s soothing. Meditative."  
"Right until your oven mitt catches fire."  
"That’s luckily never happened to me. Did it happen to you?"  
"I forgot I had the broiler on — I usually use the stove… so I bumped into the top heating  
element with my oven mitt and … fire."  
"OUCH."  
"I got a burn… and…" She trailed off.  
"Oh. We shouldn’t be talking about this… should we?"  
"Clark and I went to see a friend of ours — the same Doctor who helped us out when Clark  
was poisoned. We went to see him about my burn mark — and how to remove it. He  
thinks he can do it."  
"whose idea was that," Lucy asked, forcing herself to sound idly casual.  
"Mine — before you start getting any crazy ideas."  
"I didn’t –"  
"Clark would never push me to do something like that. He’s not shallow or territorial — or  
–"  
"Lois…"  
"Sorry… it’s me. I don’t want people ever seeing it — and wondering about creepy  
Kryptonian love rituals — or anything like that."  
Lucy clamped her lips together, trying not to ask her sister the obvious question.  
<<What exactly ARE Kryptonian love rituals like, then?>>  
If it hadn’t been for her sister’s tortured past she would not have held back.  
"I get that," she said quietly. "I do."  
"I also want that creep’s mark off my body. He thought it was indelible. That I would be  
marked as his forever, and now — I’m showing him. I escaped, which he thought  
impossible. And he can’t get me back… and I will erase all … signs of him… I guess I wish  
I could excise him from my psyche. But that’s not going to happen."  
"How is that going?"  
"I’m… doing better than I’d expected."  
"Good!"  
"But…"  
"What?"  
"It’s just… Clark … I’ve never seen him angry… with me. Angry at Luthor… sure… but… I  
don’t know what it would be like if he was ever angry with me. It’s easy not to see Kal-El  
when Clark is so … mild…"  
"Are you worried about seeing him… in passion? I mean… extreme passion?"  
"I’ve already seen what he’s like…" She had a teasing smile on her face.  
Lucy placed her knife on the counter with a resolute thump, and looked at her sister  
square in the face.  
"Oh. No. You don’t just get to stop talking now. Come on… this is the good stuff!"  
Lois still had that annoyingly secretive smile on her face.  
"Well… I can’t …. I don’t want to… betray Clark by… kissing and telling."  
"Lois!"  
"It’s just… we haven’t… okay? But…. We… uh… I feel idiotic even telling you this…"  
"What!!?"  
"We spent the night together."  
"You did what?"  
"We didn’t…"  
"Okay… then what did you… do…"  
"Enough… to know what he’s like… in passion. I mean –it’s not like we haven’t kissed, or  
messed around a bit…"  
"Yeah… but… whoa — I mean… was it…"  
"It was …incredible. Wonderful. He … is… wonderful… nothing bad happened — I didn’t  
freak out on him or anything…"  
"That’s great!"  
"But… even then… passion and anger aren’t exactly the same in intent."  
"No."  
"So…"  
"Well… what are you going to do about it?"  
"I don’t know — deliberately make him mad? Just to get it out of the way? I just don’t  
know."  
"How about taking it as it comes. You guys have weathered worse. I think at this point  
you’re pretty solid."  
"Yeah," she said quietly, her voice holding doubt.  
"Well… I mean — what else can you do?"  
"Well… I’d done some reading… on the net… about stuff like this… and one thing kind of  
stuck in my head. Aversion therapy."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Aversion therapy is sometimes used with victims of violent crime. You face the thing you  
fear, and – maybe learn to be stronger in the face of it."  
"Sounds like you could also get even more damaged by something like that."  
"There is a lot of controversy surrounding it… but this is a special situation. Where my  
attacker is so … closely… identifiable with my soul mate. So… special situations may call  
for special measures."  
"What exactly do you have in mind here?"  
"Play-acting," she said so softly that Lucy had to ask her to repeat herself.  
"Lois… this sounds less and less like a good idea."  
"If I can get Clark to… pretend to be Lord Kal-El…"  
Lucy shuddered, and waved her hands in front of her as if trying to chase the idea away.  
"Are you mad? This is a very, very, very bad idea."  
"I…"  
"If you could even get him to agree, which… I know he’d do almost anything for you —  
but… god… this?"  
"What do you think would happen if I could get him to do it," she asked, her voice and  
expression vulnerable.  
"I … it just seems like you might… see Kal-El in him… permanently… after that. You  
could…short circuit this thing… and it … would break my heart if you did."  
"Mine too, Lucy — but I have to know that I can withstand all … the faces of Clark."  
"None of those faces… not even the one named Kal-El — is capable of the horrors that his  
doppelganger enjoyed committing. So why ask Clark to imitate him… just… wait it out —  
eventually — you’ll see him angry — at you — all relationships have arguments and  
fights…right?"  
"I know — but…"  
"God, Lois… you aren’t deterred… are you? You’re going to do this crazy thing."  
"I haven’t decided on anything yet, Lucy," she said, a tinge of annoyance creeping into her  
voice. "It’s just something I’ve been mulling over in my head."  
"Lois. Honest to god. Do you want this relationship to fail?"  
"Of course not!" Annoyance had blossomed and was fast turning into anger.  
"Then why even take the risk?"  
"Because. I can’t be … I — do you know if he even dresses in black, I freak out? Because  
Kal-El dressed in black? So Clark can’t wear black? He did once, and I freaked out on  
him… I – I want to be able to see Clark in whatever the heck color he wants to wear — I  
want him to be in whatever the heck mood he’s in — and not freak out."  
"Lois — from what I’ve seen — Clark doesn’t really seem to get really angry. I mean — I’ve  
seen him… despair… I guess… when he was looking for you — but he doesn’t… I’ve never  
seen him in a rage, or anything close to it. I’ll bet he works hard at keeping those feelings  
under check — because he doesn’t want to scare people."  
"I’ve seen him angry, Lucy."  
"But you said you’d never seen him –"  
"I’d never seen him really angry at me. I’ve seen him angry before. And believe me, he’s  
not as… mild-mannered as you might think. There was this one time where Luthor …  
lured me — I guess — into a vulnerable situation. I wanted to meet with him to let him  
know I was ending our business relationship and he turned it into a date… or tried… and  
-he had his driver come get me… anyway — he was coming on a bit too strongly and I  
wasn’t handling it very well. Clark … Superman… showed up, and … he was angry. Really  
angry."  
"That was before you trusted him, right?"  
"Yeah. It was pretty scary, actually. He was really angry — you could see it in his entire  
body language… and in his eyes. A controlled anger, but it was anger, and it was — really  
intense. I’ve also seen him get angry when I’ve talked about some of my experiences in  
that other world. But he’s always quick to cover it up. He’s capable of it. And I’d hate to  
ever see that directed at me."  
"He never would… I mean – what could ever provoke him? He hated Luthor — he must  
hate Lord Kal-El — but you? He loves you."  
"Well, what if — he thought I was having an affair or something? That can happen in a  
relationship… something innocent can seem suspicious … and – "  
"Oh come on — that’s ludicrous."  
"Is it? People are suspicious by nature, and … I don’t know… I mean — if I were working  
late a lot, and with a fellow male reporter — might he not think something was going on  
— and…"  
"Lois, you’re fabricating unlikely scenarios in your head. Clark would never think that."  
"How do you know?" Her voice rang with annoyance. "You aren’t the expert in his psyche,  
you know."  
"I never said I was," Lucy said, her voice filling with hurt. "I’m just saying that — you two  
love each other, you’re both grown-ups, it’s likely if a situation like that came up, Clark  
would behave rationally."  
"I guess I just think — I want to — inoculate myself, I guess — against — being … freaked  
out by him. When I marry him, I want to make sure I’m not going to go off the deep end  
about anything. You know? So I guess — if I could get him to — maybe… role-play — I  
can… purge that from my system."  
"Have you talked to Lana about it?"  
"No. She’s getting married really soon, and I don’t want to get in her way. I do have to talk  
to her — about Clark and I — before we go public. Probably today, I’ll give her a call… but  
I don’t want her to think about anything other than her upcoming wedding…"  
"Get honest here. You don’t want her to talk you out of it. And you know she’ll try."  
"Yeah. I guess. Yeah."  
"Well. I … I … I hope whatever you do — it works out well. How’s that for supportive?"  
"Thanks. Lucy. Sorry… shouldn’t have burdened you with this."  
"Hey. No worries… I kind of have been doing this to you all our lives. I just worry about  
you, but you know what you’re doing. I’m sure you’ll do what makes sense."  
"Uh-huh," she said, her tone disbelieving.  
"Not convincing?"  
"No. But thanks for trying. You get definite points for that." She yawned widely and then  
shook her head. "Wow. I’m tired. I think it’s time for me to turn in."  
"Yeah, me too. Let me get you all set up."  
Minutes later, Lois lay down and tried to will her racing mind to stop racing long enough  
for her to fall sleep. Her body was exhausted but she just couldn’t seem to wind down.  
Finally, after what seemed like forever, she fell into a fitful sleep filled with disturbing  
images and memories.  
She woke up early and was relieved that the night was finally over. Wish I didn’t feel  
hung-over. She stumbled to the kitchen after taking care of her more urgent needs in the  
bathroom and started the coffee brewing.  
Lucy stumbled blearily out of her room.  
"You’re up early!"  
"Yeah."  
"Everything okay?"  
"Oh. Yeah. You know… I just had a rough night."  
"Do you want to talk about it or anything?"  
"No… I want to run away from it, really. Just… I want today to be normal-day for me. You  
know — like a made-up holiday. Normal-day. We could have a line of special normal-day  
greeting cards, along with special normal-day gifts… ‘Hope your day is normal. Thinking  
of you, in these normal times.’"  
"First rule of normal-day is to probably not tell other people about normal-day,  
otherwise… they’ll be looking at you as if you were anything but normal."  
"Right. Good advice." She stretched and winced.  
"What is it?"  
"Just getting old. I slept funny. And now, my shoulder aches."  
"Sorry. It was probably the couch."  
"Runs in our family I guess — uncomfortable couches… Listen, Luce. I’m sorry about  
being all … grumpy… yesterday. I — I guess you were saying some smart things — and I  
just didn’t want to hear them."  
"I know. We’ve been here before — only with you saying the smart stuff, and me not  
wanting to hear it. It’s okay. I hope you still feel like you can talk to me about anything —  
because no matter what you do, I will support you."  
"Thanks." She walked over and gave her sister a hug. "Now go back to sleep! I’ll see  
myself out."  
Lois arrived home, her feelings still playing havoc with her peace of mind.  
Her idea of aversion therapy had troubled her when she first thought of it, but now that  
she had given voice to the plan, it was starting to haunt her even more deeply. In fact,  
that was likely the reason why she had had such a restless sleep. All the talk about her  
burn mark followed by her defending her aversion- therapy plan had taken its toll, and  
she had dreamt of Kal-El, and of Clark. The dreams hadn’t been solid – she couldn’t really  
remember actual events from her dreams but she woke up with an uncomfortable feeling  
about the whole thing.  
She felt nervous about the idea of seeing Clark that day, not sure if she would revert back  
to her old tendency towards having a bout of panic when she first saw him.  
She wanted desperately to talk to him — but perversely, she also didn’t want to talk to  
him — she wanted more time to mull things over in her head… to decide if she even  
wanted to seriously pursue this course of action.  
Another part of her wanted to blurt the idea out to him and get his buy-in as soon as  
possible. Get it over with — rip the band- aid off. Have it be done, and let her be healed.  
Or hurt? Could she be hurt by this course of action? Was Lucy right? On some level — was  
she actually hoping to make things fail? And if so — why? Being self-sabotaging was  
something she was well familiar with. Her career — her fitness — her diet — those were  
things she succeeded with in terms of her goals — but her love life? Never. She had  
always screwed up her chances of being happy with a man — mostly by picking the wrong  
men. The men who practically wore their wrongness like a beacon. Clark was the first man  
she had been with in any way who had been a good choice… was that what was scaring  
her after all? End it now before she screwed it up?  
<<No. It’s not that. Not that at all. I really am afraid of him wearing black. Of him being  
angry. I didn’t make this stuff up. It’s there, and it’s not healthy. A woman should not  
marry a man she is sometimes deathly afraid of. If I do this, I can purge those feelings.  
Become whole again. Easy as pie. Except… pie isn’t easy. It isn’t. There’s all these stupid  
rules about making pastry that I could never figure out… and… well — this isn’t that easy  
either. It never is. The things that are worth it never are. And like Lucy said, it very well  
could be a disastrously stupid thing to do. And she’s right — why haven’t I talked to Lana  
about this? Obviously I know that Lana would dissuade me from the idea, and I just don’t  
want to hear it. The problem is — I know it’s stupid. I know it’s dangerous. And yet, that’s  
exactly why I’m going to go ahead with it. Why break tradition?>>  
She sighed in frustration as she headed for the shower.  
Thirty minutes later, she still felt agitated.  
<<That didn’t help. I guess I should just call him and get the day going. We have a lot to  
do today. Maybe he won’t notice that I’m distracted.>>  
She picked up the phone and called his number.  
"Hi, Lois, I was hoping you’d call" he said, his voice full of warmth and welcome.  
"Hi," she said, feeling very shy. "Is now a good time for you to come on over?"  
"Yeah, if it’s good for you. Door or window?"  
"Window! Less public that way, believe it or not."  
"Neighbors been hassling you?"  
"Just the burning curiosity in their eyes. But that’ll be satisfied soon enough…"  
"Be there in a few seconds. Uh — that is… if you meant ‘now’ now… and not 15 minutes  
from now."  
"’Now’ now."  
"Okay! See you …. Now…"  
She hung up the phone, and went over to the balcony and opened the door in  
preparation. True to his words, he was there almost instantly. She saw him, and felt  
assaulted by a wave of nervous shyness. The old hints of panic were starting to uncoil,  
and she furiously tamped them back. As she had feared he looked more like Kal-El to her  
than he normally did.  
Defiantly telling her fears that she wasn’t going to give them any more credence, she  
moved forward towards him and threw her arms around him drawing him close for a kiss.  
She kissed him fiercely, luxuriating in the strength of his passionate response. His arms  
were around her waist now, and she felt a thrill of excitement as her body connected with  
his in an intimate and sensual way.  
She tightened her grip around him and increased the pressure of her kiss. Had he been a  
human man, her grip may have started to become painful, the pressure uncomfortable.  
She felt as if she were transmitting to him, on a physical level, that she wanted him to do  
the same.  
<<Hold me tighter. Tighter than that. Kiss me harder!>>  
She almost felt like she wanted him to hurt her. If he did, it might feel like it did with Kal-  
El, and she would know that even then, it would be okay — she would be okay… that  
nothing bad could happen to her.  
But of course, Clark would never do that. Not even in her unspoken invitation to increase  
the pressure of their contact. She felt a bubble of frustration erupt through her as she  
realized he wasn’t picking up on her signals. She made a sound in her throat that could  
have been passion or agitation and he wondered at it — wondered at her strange and  
unsettling behavior.  
<<Something is wrong.>>  
He was the one to break the kiss, and he looked at her flushed face and stormy eyes with  
a question in his eyes.  
She saw this and frantically sought to avoid questioning.  
"I… I’m glad you came," she said, her voice a labored gasp. "I missed you so much."  
"I missed you too," he said carefully, still feeling confused by her behavior.  
"I … we have a lot to do today," she said quickly, making sure he knew not to ask.  
"I know. Tell Lana, and then Cat."  
"If you’re sure… still… that you want to do this."  
"Tell people? Absolutely."  
"You aren’t just going along with it?"  
"I promise to never just go along with something. Okay? I really want them to know. Are  
you… do you want to wait on this? Because you know — if you do –there’s no reason why  
we have to tell anyone before Lana’s wedding. We don’t even have to make it like we’re  
going together, if that’s what –"  
"No! I want everyone to know. I really do."  
"Good, then we’re in agreement."  
"Yeah," she said, finding herself suddenly at a loss for words. The urgency was still there  
inside her to fill up the silences so he wouldn’t get a chance to comment on her distracted  
and strange behavior.  
"Did you invite Lana here, or are we supposed to meet her?"  
"I invited her here. Um. She’ll be here in about 20 minutes."  
"Great!"  
"Yeah. I… I hope she’s not mad at me or anything. I haven’t talked to her in a while."  
"I don’t imagine she would be…"  
"I just don’t want her to think I was using her when I needed her – I just… you know – … I  
just… needed a break from talking about my own problems, and — I guess – I don’t  
know."  
"Did she sound mad?"  
"No. I’m just… inventing stuff in my head, I guess. You know me."  
He didn’t know what to say, so he just waited for her to continue.  
She licked her lips nervously, and once again fought to break the silence.  
"So… how was that rescue? Was it … did everything go all right?" She had already read  
about it, so she knew nobody had died, but still — dealing with the injured could be  
painful, and that’s what lovers did — supported each other in times of pain.  
"It was… it was okay. In the end — it was okay. Nobody died. I mean — it’s hard to see  
people hurt. But… nobody died. Sometimes… you get lucky."  
"They got lucky — you came to help."  
"Well… you know — I just … like to help."  
"Yeah. That’s what makes you so unique… you do it for no reason other than the fact that  
you like to help."  
"Lots of people do, Lois … really — it’s not that unique. You’re the kind of person to do  
that as well, and Perry — and… my parents, when they were alive –"  
"I know. I guess… unique… well…"  
<<Different from Kal-El.>>  
"Lois…? Is… are you –"  
"You know, I can call Lana and ask her to come over sooner! That will start the day off  
quicker. How about I do that?"  
She turned to get the phone.  
Hoping that it wasn’t a wrong move, he moved towards her and put a gently arresting  
hand on her arm.  
"Lois." His voice was quiet — but also resolute.  
She looked over at him.  
<<Here it comes.>>  
"What’s wrong?"  
"I…"  
"You’re acting… you seem… uncomfortable. What’s wrong?"  
She looked down, unable to meet his gaze.  
"I… I had … some bad dreams last night," she said, not yet ready to talk about the role-  
playing idea.  
"Okay…" His voice was gentle, encouraging her to continue.  
"About you… no… about him…"  
His heart sank. Had she started thinking of him as ‘Kal-El’ again? Was it some awful  
Freudian slip?  
"I actually dreamt of both of you… I… I … I guess I was … I was interacting with you…"  
She flushed, not wanting to go into any level of detail about the intimate nature of that  
interaction, " and… then… you just kind of turned into him."  
He was quiet, not wanting to express any level of dismay — he had to be able to handle  
her dreams, her flashbacks, and her panic attacks. He absolutely had to be able to handle  
it without requiring comfort — because that’s what it would take to be with her. He  
couldn’t burden her with his own feelings.  
"I’m not afraid of you," she said quickly, reading a flicker of something in his eyes. "I know  
you aren’t suddenly going to start acting like him. I get that… one hundred percent."  
"I… I know. I do. It’s obvious. By how you relate to me now –"  
"Okay. It’s just that –my subconscious mind is going to occasionally do these things… I  
guess… I’m just worried — not about what you will do — but about what I will do –I’m  
afraid of panic attacks… or flashbacks… and because I fear these things, I guess I’m  
starting to have nightmares now."  
"God… Lois, I don’t know what to say to that. I’m… that’s just…awful for you."  
"Yeah."  
"I promise — I will deal with whatever happens — without taking it personally — I mean —  
you don’t have to worry about my reactions…"  
"I know — I know — I told you — you aren’t the thing … the person… that I fear."  
"Not so much fear of me… rather… for me. I’m okay — if you … need time or space. I’m  
okay."  
She looked at him with a pained expression. She shook her head impatiently. "No. I … I  
no… I don’t. I don’t need that."  
<<Who is she trying to convince? Me? Or her?>>  
He was silent a moment, not sure if he should challenge her assertions or just go along  
with it. Obviously she was feeling on edge and unsettled, but equally obvious was the fact  
that she didn’t want him to really notice it. Giving it a quick run through in his mind, he  
decided to wait for her to open up to him. So far, that had yielded good results.  
"Okay," he said quietly.  
A sharp ring brought the same thought to both minds:  
<<Saved by the bell.>>  
Lois nearly broke Clark’s best speed record in rushing to the door. Clark watched her  
wryly.  
<<Yeah. Nothing wrong here. >>  
Before he could pursue this line of thinking, Lana was breezing into his space and  
planting a friendly kiss on his cheek.  
"It’s so great to see you guys!"  
"Same here, Lana," he said with a big smile. It was too. Great to see her. To deflect and  
postpone the tension — and even better, to share their happy news. Also — it was great  
to see Lana because she was once again his old friend — not the fiancée he had learned to  
dread.  
"Lana, can I get you anything to drink?"  
Later, after formalities were dispensed with, and the three of them were seated  
comfortably in Lois’s living room, Lana looked at them pointedly.  
"So, have you set a date yet?’  
"That transparent, are we?" Clark wasn’t surprised. He had always been drawn to shrewd  
women.  
"Well. I figured — why would you invite me over like this."  
He winced. "Okay… maybe we deserve that…"  
"No — that’s not what I meant… but… you know… like this… like … something big was  
up."  
"We haven’t set a date," said Lois, "but we will… soon enough. We wanted to share the  
news with our loved ones before telling the world."  
Lana leaned over and gave her a hug.  
"Loved one," she said, smiling. "I like that! Oh. Congratulations! This is just fantastic. I  
love it when people I think would be great together get together. I’m happy for you. I  
really… really… am," she said this last, looking at Clark pointedly.  
<<I’m happy for you. Despite what happened before — with us — with her… I’m so  
happy.>>  
"Thank you, Lana — that means a lot."  
"To me too," said Lois. "You’ve been… such a friend to me. I can’t ever repay you for what  
you’ve done…"  
"Lois — all I did was lend an ear…"  
"You did more than that."  
"Glad to have been of service then," she said, in her trademark flippant way. Her eyes told  
another story — that of being deeply touched.  
"How about you," asked Lois. "Are you all set for the wedding?"  
"As best as I’ll ever be," she said with a sigh. "Planning these things… and seeing it all  
come together… it’s fun. It’s frightening. It’s… just a crazy ride. I’ll be glad to be done  
with this, and on with the next journey."  
"I’ll bet."  
"Can I tell him? My honey? About you two?"  
"Absolutely!"  
"When are you going to go fully public."  
"Today, actually," said Clark.  
"Hey! It’s lucky I was able to come over then!"  
"We wouldn’t have gone public until you knew."  
"I know. I was just teasing."  
"Do you have time for lunch — or –"  
"I have to go," she said in honest regret. "I have a lot of wedding stuff that has to get done  
today. Final steps, and then — I’ll be free…"  
"Don’t let us delay your liberation then," said Lois with a smile.  
Lana looked at her, and then her own smile faltered. "I’m sorry. That was kind of …"  
"No," she said. "Don’t. I was just thinking of the many ways we can feel trapped… trapped  
by … responsibility — it’s a far different thing than the actual ‘caged-in’ kind of trapped."  
She paled. "He didn’t keep you in a cage, did he?"  
Lois quickly answered after seeing the horror on both Clark and Lana’s faces. "No. No.  
Metaphorical cage."  
"God, Lois…"  
"Sorry, Clark. Sorry Lana… didn’t mean to upset you guys."  
"It’s good for you to talk about this, Lois — as a matter of course, in conversation. It  
means you’re able to … interact with those memories in a way that isn’t consuming you.  
It’s healthy and it means you’ve come a long way."  
Lois felt a start of guilt.  
<<Yeah? Wait till you hear the crazy idea I’ve got hatching… but I haven’t come so far a  
way as to be willing to tell you this crazy idea. That would make far too much sense.>>  
Lana saw the shadowed expression cross her face, and faltered. What?  
"I appreciate hearing all that," Lois said quickly. "It means a lot, coming from you."  
"Any time. You ever need a listening ear… I mean, I know you’ve got your honey here, but  
— I’m here for you too." She stood up, in preparation to leave, and Clark and Lois stood  
as well.  
Hugs were exchanged, goodbyes given, and Lois and Clark found themselves alone again.  
The tension started mounting almost immediately.  
"Well, that went well," she said with forced cheer, dismal at how quickly the atmosphere  
was solidifying.  
<<Soon I’ll be unable to breathe.>>  
"It did," he said uselessly.  
<<Lois, what do I do? How do I fix this?>>  
"Cat should be here in about a half-hour."  
"Great."  
"So we’re agreed that we’re just going to come clean with her?"  
"As long as you feel okay about it. Cat’s shrewd and relentless. I don’t want to give her  
half-truths and then have her … catch us out. It’s better if she’s on our side, and she can  
help us spin a better story."  
"Right. And you really don’t think she’ll be likely to tell others about the existence of  
other universes? That’s information we really don’t want getting out."  
"I doubt it. I think she’ll realize that most people will think she’s gone off the deep end if  
she talks about it. In fact, that’s our big problem — I don’t want her thinking we’re insane  
— especially me… for obvious reasons."  
"Well, Perry and Bill can corroborate if it comes down to that, and I’m guessing they would  
to forestall her creating world-wide panic about the mental state of the most powerful  
guy around."  
He looked at her uncomfortably. "Yea."  
"So… what do you want to do while we wait?"  
"Well…"  
"Maybe this?" She walked over to him, trying to make her movements seem natural and  
languid. She snaked her arms around his waist and moved in to kiss him.  
He returned her kiss gently, not wanting to trigger any bad feelings in her — especially  
after her dream.  
She increased the pressure of her lips on his as she deepened the kiss, trying to reach a  
different level of intimacy. Instead of responding, he gripped her shoulders very gently  
and broke the contact.  
"What’s wrong," she said, her voice hurt.  
"I feel… I don’t know. Like… you don’t really want to be doing this."  
"That’s not true! I do –" She was vehement in her protest. She had wanted to kiss him.  
Hadn’t she? She had initiated it, and as usual, kissing him had started to evoke a lot of  
warm and pleasant feelings.  
"I just feel like something is bothering you," he said nervously. Had he misread her?  
"Well — I mean — I did tell you I had that dream…"  
"Yeah, and I can understand how that would bother you — I guess I feel like it still is  
bothering you — I just get that feeling. Maybe it’s an empathic thing — since we can  
communicate telepathically. I don’t know…"  
"It is on my mind still, Clark. I can’t just shake it out… but that doesn’t mean I don’t want  
us to do this… and — it doesn’t mean that I didn’t just enjoy what we did. I do… I did…  
despite the fact that I had a bad dream or two."  
"Right," he said, trying to sound convincing in his assent.  
"You don’t believe me."  
"Not… so much that," he said, rushing to reassure her. "I do — I just… I just… feel like  
something is off. I’m sorry. I — I’m just making a big deal out of nothing."  
"No… no… you aren’t. I do… feel a little… off today. You’re picking up on that. I’m sorry."  
"Do you want to – do you regret –"  
"No!"  
"If you did, I’d want to know –"  
"I do not regret anything in terms of our decision to marry. I want this. I want you. I love  
you. I really love you, and I really want to marry you…. Please – if you believe anything —  
believe that!"  
He grinned at her warmly. "Okay. I do. I do believe that."  
"Good! So… can I kiss my fiancé without getting the cold shoulder?"  
"I never gave you the cold –" He stopped talking as she moved into his space with fluidic  
grace and pressed her lips to his. She broke off slightly. "Shut up and kiss me," she said  
throatily.  
He brought his arms around her, this time pulling her closer into the embrace. "I don’t  
need to be told a second time," he responded with laughter in his voice. He kissed her  
back, this time not holding anything back.  
A knock at the door broke the haze of passion that was starting to develop, and Lois  
reluctantly pushed at him to end the kissing.  
"Cat’s here, " she murmured.  
"Damn the timing," he said with a sensual growl.  
She grinned at him. "She won’t be here for long. There’s plenty of time for this… later.  
Today."  
"Later… later… okay. Later. I can do later."  
She went and opened the door.  
"Hi Cat! Thanks for coming over!"  
"I would walk miles for this interview, Lois!"  
"We would have come to you," said Clark, "But…we’ve decided to fill you in on the whole  
story, and that’s not something we wanted to do in a public surrounding."  
"Well — that sounds kind of ominous."  
He winced. "It kind of is. We’re going to tell you a lot that’s print worthy — and a lot that  
isn’t. You may want to talk with Perry White after this to get some perspective on some of  
this stuff."  
"Cat, would you like some coffee?"  
Later, coffees in hand, they sat companionably in the living room.  
"First of all. Lois and I are getting married — we haven’t set a date or anything, but we’ve  
made the decision and… the rest… it’s just details."  
She smiled broadly at them. "Oh. Oh. Congratulations! I figured as much — but still. I’m  
very happy for you both."  
"Thanks," said Lois. "I appreciate it. I know a lot of people are going to find it pretty  
disturbing that Clark has agreed to marry the horrible reporter who wrote such horrible  
things about him."  
"Well. I know you, Lois," she said carefully. "You wouldn’t have written this stuff if you  
didn’t believe it…which is something I’d like to talk to you about. I have to ask some of  
the hard questions — if I don’t — others will — and I’ll look like a schmuck."  
"We know, " said Clark. "We do get that. As I said — we want you to know everything, and  
then — once you’ve been reassured – hopefully – that we aren’t crazy — you’ll help us  
with the whole public spin on things."  
"Why would I think you’re crazy?"  
"Here goes nothing…" Lois paused and took a deep breath, releasing it in a sigh. "That…  
other Lois… she… she wasn’t me. But she was Lois Lane. She was my doppelganger from  
an alternate universe. The man who exposed Clark was a dimensional traveler named  
Tempus who had forced her into this world to prevent her from marrying Clark’s  
counterpart in her home universe."  
Cat sat silently for a few minutes. Then she grinned. "Okay … hah hah. Now come on -"  
"You can call Perry and ask him about this," said Clark. "Not only does he believe it — he’s  
seen both Loises in the same room — as well as my own doppelganger with me. Lois and  
Clark from that other world helped Lois stop my clone."  
"You’re… you’re not kidding…"  
"And we aren’t crazy. Especially — Clark. He’s not insane. I know it sounds –"  
She shook her head. "No. You aren’t crazy. You both couldn’t … hide it this well. So — the  
only other … you either believe this  
thing to be true — or it really is true — and… I guess — go on… tell me more…"  
"This guy — Tempus — he kidnapped Lois — this Lois… and brought her into yet a  
different universe. She was there the three long years she was missing."  
"You were in another universe."  
"Yes."  
"Like… um… like this one?"  
"Kind of. With some differences."  
"Like…?"  
She looked at Clark her eyes haunted.  
"Clark… didn’t come there as a baby. He never became Clark. He was nothing like Clark.  
Probably no matter what the circumstances of his life, he would never have been anything  
like Clark."  
"What was he like?"  
"A monster," said Clark bleakly.  
"Can… uh… can you elaborate?"  
"He and the other Kryptonians — there were a lot of them — they conquered Earth —  
enslaved humanity."  
"Oh my god…"  
"Kal-El — Clark’s doppelganger — he was the leader. He was one of the worst of the lot.  
He… he – I became his slave. Tempus told him about me — you see… he had enslaved my  
doppelganger, but ended up killing her… I guess he didn’t really mean to — and when he  
found out about me…"  
Cat looked horrified. "Are you serious? You were a … a slave? I mean — in what way – ?"


	8. Chapter 8

Lois closed her eyes. "I think you could use your imagination on that one, Cat."  
"Oh my god! You… you lived like that? For three years?"  
She nodded. "I didn’t think I’d ever get free of him. It was hell. Pure hell. He wasn’t a –  
good man… he was vicious — sadistic… took great delight in hurting me — in my fear of  
him… and…" she shook her head. "It was a nightmare."  
"Oh my god… Lois — I’m sorry — about being so rude to you –making that crack about –"  
"It’s okay," she said hurriedly, not wanting to hear the chastity belt crack again. "I — you  
didn’t know."  
"I just… I’m sorry!"  
"It… it was horrible. But then — a different dimension traveler — a good one — he had  
gone looking for me — it’s along story as to why — but he did — and he found me. He  
brought be back home." She went silent a few moments remembering the extreme joy she  
had felt to be home, only to have that joy crushed when she found out about Clark.  
"And… you found out Clark was here… in this world. Oh. God — that explains everything."  
"It does — but… if we tell people the truth — it might cause panic worldwide. Fear of  
Clark, and then the whole existence of alternate worlds. It — it could have far reaching  
and disturbing consequences. So — we kind of don’t want to do that. At the same time —  
we don’t want to have to lie too much. Well — Clark doesn’t want to lie at all — but — you  
get the idea."  
"I’d stick with the amnesia story."  
"But then, if someone asks Clark if he knew where I was – he’d have to lie – and -"  
"Just say that you know what Lois has told you. That would be the truth."  
"It’s shaky ground though," said Clark.  
"Sometimes — just sometimes — these things have to be done. Lois’s comments about  
the world’s reaction are not so far from plausible."  
"Right…"  
"What about my utter hatred of Clark when I first showed up?"  
"You could just say … well — that you were once the victim of a violent attack – and it  
caused you to …"  
"See that’s why the amnesia won’t work. Before I disappeared, I was not likely to turn on a  
man like Clark. If anything, I probably would have been singing his praises."  
"So you want to tell people you were kidnapped and held prisoner by a powerful man? And  
that it taught you to fear men with too much power — whether it be financial or …  
superhuman strength?"  
"Mmm — yeah, but then — what if people ask Clark about it…"  
"Clark, you’ll have to go the no comment route. Just say — this topic is upsetting to Lois,  
and I can’t talk about anything without her consent."  
"That would work…"  
"You believe us?"  
"Yes… yes… I do…. And … what you’ve been through Lois — it’s heinous. I’m glad you’re  
back and that you’ve moved onward…. And I guess that’s what I need to get as far as  
something I can print — the story of how you two went from worlds apart to betrothed."  
"Thanks, Cat," said Clark. "This is a huge relief."  
"Anytime. I owe you about a billion."  
"So… want to get started?"  
"Okay. We’ll start at the beginning. When you started your articles — were you aware at all  
that Lex Luthor was really a criminal?"  
"No. But soon afterwards I began to see a disturbing side of him… and after awhile — I  
realized that he made me really uncomfortable. I severed ties with him once I figured it all  
out."  
"I heard rumors that he was after you romantically."  
Lois shuddered. "Lex liked to … possess… things. He saw me as a challenge. His charm…  
I guess I was invulnerable where he was concerned. I think that … spurred him on to want  
to change that."  
"It… it didn’t seem to work."  
"No."  
"You had a huge change of heart about Clark after the asteroid. What happened?"  
"I had a change of heart long before that. Even before I stopped my articles… I felt that I  
was … I felt uneasy with what I was writing. And I would never have felt that way if deep  
down I didn’t think Clark was really innocent of all the things I accused him of. I knew I  
was hurting an innocent man, and that bothered me. Once I was consciously aware that  
my fears about him were … unfounded… I stopped writing. I still felt … embarrassed…  
and uncomfortable… about the whole thing, about interacting with him… but I knew… he  
wasn’t a threat."  
"And then — the asteroid happened … and he disappeared. I… I actually went to his  
apartment, intending to see if somehow I could get up there…Clark had amassed a lot of  
information about Lex and his dealings… with help from some friends, and… I — I wanted  
to have it, so if I needed to use it to protect myself against Lex…I could. Without Clark… I  
guess I felt very much… in danger of Lex.  
"Clark had left word with the security of his building that I could have complete access to  
his place." She smiled over at him. "I guess he trusted me, despite all the horrible things I  
had said about him. So — I went up there… and there he was." She flushed again at  
recollection of how she found him and how she reacted.  
***Clark. I’m going to leave some details out. Is that okay?  
***Yeah. More than okay! You’re doing great!  
"Wow! That must have been quite shocking to you — thinking he was dead, and then —  
him being there."  
"Huge understatement there, Cat. But yes. I was… shocked. I soon found out he had no  
memory of who he was. Initially he was really wary of me – he didn’t know who I was, and  
he had woken up in a molten crater… so he had figured that maybe someone had tried to  
kill him. I think that my showing up like that, and then being so shocked to see him was  
evidence that I had something to do with the supposed attempt on his life. I did eventually  
manage to get the truth through to him – with help from the news reports on TV."  
"Clark, how did all that make you feel? I mean — did you think you were just an ordinary  
human being before she told you who you really were?"  
"Yeah. I … felt pretty shocked. It was hard to believe — and it was pretty upsetting."  
"I can only imagine."  
"Once she told me – I knew I had to get my memory back. I needed my memories to  
access how to … use… my powers… how to fly — that sort of thing. So — I asked her to  
help me. I guess — I trusted her… I needed that — that trust — to relax enough to let the  
memories come back."  
"How long did it take?"  
"Hours. Long… hours," he said, giving Lois a wide smile. "Of course, spending hours with  
Lois — that’s a good thing, but it was stressful and frustrating. Scary too — because that  
asteroid was getting closer every second."  
"How did your memories come back?"  
He winced.  
"Well. I kind of started badgering her about … I felt that she was holding back something  
— some piece of knowledge that was important. I wouldn’t… let up — I guess — and  
finally — I…" He broke off and looked at her, seeking her direction.  
"I had the panic attack to end all panic attacks… and — that triggered a memory cascade."  
"Wow. That must have been pretty horrible."  
"Oh. It was."  
"What about for you, Clark?"  
"It was heart-wrenching."  
"Well.. I can print that you had a cascade while talking to her — that’s sort of the truth."  
"Yeah…"  
"How did you even — guess that she was holding something back? Did you even know  
that she had launched this huge fear-campaign against you?"  
"Well… I did… she told me to check the internet for information about myself… to try to  
create a memory cascade, and… I did … find her articles."  
"That must have been a betrayal. You trusted her, but then — you found all this. How did  
you react?"  
"I felt really confused… and scared. I guess I figured if I could make her feel that way,  
maybe I was the dangerous person she thought I was. I … did… tell her… ask her… about  
why she wrote them."  
"Lois — what did you tell him when he asked you about this?"  
"I told him that I’d been wrong. That I’d projected my own … issues onto him… he didn’t  
really believe me. I think that’s really what started him thinking I was holding back key  
information."  
"So his memories returned, he saved the day — and then… you wrote the story of his  
encounter with the asteroid," she said to Lois.  
"Yes."  
"Why her, Clark? Of all the reporters to give that story to– why Lois Lane?"  
"I owed it to her. She had given up what could have been her last moments alive to try to  
help me. Instead, she could have been off with her family, or living it up — or whatever…"  
"And after that? Romance bloomed?"  
Lois was unable to stop the grin from popping up on her face.  
"After that, I couldn’t stop thinking about him… but he managed to disappear off to  
Europe for three whole months. Never once coming by to say hello, even though it would  
have been easy for him to do so."  
"Lois, had I known you wanted me to do that I’d have done it in an instant!"  
"Right. Instead of hanging out with the most attractive women on the planet…"  
"Not true. You weren’t there."  
"Good save, Clark," retorted Cat with a grin. "So – when did you become more than  
friends?"  
"I think we were never ‘just’ friends. I think it took me a little while to realize that I had  
always been drawn to him, and that my longing to have him around after our shared  
asteroid experience was really a bad case of having fallen in love."  
"What about you, Clark?"  
"I fell in love with her the moment I saw her," he said.  
"Her, or the … other Lois?"  
"Oh, her. Definitely her."  
"You loved her even when she was afraid of you?"  
"Yes."  
"Lois — did you know how he felt?"  
She shook her head. She smiled ruefully. "Probably a good thing, given my … conviction  
that he was dangerous. I don’t think I would have … been too happy with the idea. After I  
got over that, however…"  
"Loving her as you did, how did you deal with her being so afraid of you?"  
"I tried to stay out of her way."  
"Is that why you left the Daily Planet?"  
"It’s one reason. One big reason."  
"Lois, would you have come back to the Planet if he had still been here?"  
She shook her head. "No."  
"At the time, did you think his leaving had anything to do with you?"  
She furrowed her brow. "It’s hard to tell. I was so sure he meant to conquer the world that  
all my suppositions as far as motivation were just really … extreme. Later though, I  
guessed that he must have left in order to make it easier for me to come back. That was  
exactly the kind of thing I could see him doing."  
"Any regrets about making that choice, Clark?"  
"None."  
"Oh come on! You don’t miss all of us? Your old friends."  
"Okay. One regret."  
"Her articles were pretty… harsh. Did you at all feel angry at her — for writing them?"  
"No."  
"Not at all? Not even the slightest bit? I mean — here you are helping people out with the  
best of intentions and this woman is writing these articles that are so negative towards  
you. You didn’t feel any anger at all?"  
"No. She had good reason to be afraid — to feel this way."  
"Well — this is quite a love story. You’ve gone through hell to be together, really — and I  
think if anyone can make it work — you both can. Thank you… for sharing this with me. I  
feel honored."  
"Cat — it’s a pleasure. I knew we could count on you."  
"Yeah. I guess it’s a burden I’ll take to my grave — knowing that there are these other  
worlds. Clark. There’s no chance of the other … Kal-El… coming here, is there?"  
He paled. "I don’t know… I don’t know if he… he would try. It does worry me… but if he  
ever did — I’d do everything in my power to stop him."  
"I’m sure you would. Just give me heads up if you ever think it’s going to happen. I want  
to find a good hiding place…"  
Lois shuddered. "I don’t even want to think about that happening."  
Cat looked at her thoughtfully.  
<<She was a prisoner to a man who looks and sounds just like her fiancé. She was  
probably raped, based on her description of her captivity… probably more than just a few  
times. And yet — they seem so easy together. I wonder if they’ve gotten intimate. You’d  
imagine that would be a difficult thing for her. But of course — I can’t ask that. I guess —  
they know what they are doing.>>  
She took a deep breath and stood up. They both got to their feet as well. She gave them  
both warm hugs, and walked towards the door.  
"This will make the evening edition. Enjoy, I guess — what’s left of your peace and quiet  
for a while." She said this last with a rueful smile. While it was true that she was outing  
them by their own consent, she wasn’t sure if Lois was really ready for the barrage of  
publicity that would soon be hers.  
<<Oh well. She knows the score.>>  
After she left, Lois stood watching the door a few long moments.  
<<Oh my god. We did it. We really did it. No turning back now.>>  
She took in a deep breath, and then turned to face her fiancé.  
"Wow… we … we did it!"  
He smiled at her. "Overwhelming – isn’t it?"  
"Yeah. I mean — it’s good. It’s great. It’s… it’s just weird. Because Cat’s right. A lot of  
people are going to really question your sanity when they find out you’re marrying me of  
all people."  
"Lois — the people who know you will understand. Those who don’t — well… in the end,  
you can’t let others … interfere in how you live your life. We just have to do what we think  
is right for us."  
"I know. I — just don’t want to be the villain of this piece even if I do kind of deserve it."  
"Not from where I’m standing."  
"You’re standing all the way over there."  
He grinned and then walked over to her. "This better?"  
"Hmmm. How about this?" She stepped into his embrace and rested her head against his  
solid warmth.  
"You sure you don’t want to go out and enjoy your last moments of not being harassed by  
the press?"  
"Out — as in out — on a date?"  
"I meant alone — you sure you don’t want to just go out alone and –"  
"Oh. I’m very sure."  
"Did you want to go out on a date?"  
She flushed. "No. No. I’m just not ready for… being mobbed. I know it will happen, but…  
maybe it’s better if I’m alone the first time I venture out after it hits the stands."  
"Well then — did you want me to make you dinner?"  
She grinned at him. "I was waiting for you to ask. Although — I think maybe I owe you  
one?"  
She saw a look flicker in his eyes. Trepidation.  
"It’s okay, Clark — it’s okay for me to do things for you — you  
know — domesticated things… nowhere does it resemble servitude in this kind of a  
relationship."  
"Well… good… but I was… well — never mind."  
"You weren’t worried about that, were you?"  
"No — I mean — that’s a lot of it…"  
"Are you afraid of my cooking?"  
"Lois. Your cooking is legendary… I heard some really — interesting stories from Perry  
and Alice."  
"You know — if you’re supposed to take the pizzas out of the plastic wrap before cooking  
them — they should specify that in the instructions."  
"But – plastic… in the oven…."  
"Yeah, but you can put it in the microwave, and it doesn’t melt there."  
"I know — but –"  
"I thought it was special plastic — you know — space-age and all that — don’t laugh at  
me!"  
"I’m not. Really. I guess — yeah… what you say makes sense…"  
"Right. Okay. I know. But you know — that was a very long time ago. I’ve learned a few  
things since then."  
"Like?"  
"Plastic melts."  
He started laughing. "Okay. Okay. I’m sorry. I — I know — stop laughing. If you want to  
cook, go ahead. I’ll — I’m sure it’ll be –"  
"I never said I wanted to. I just said I should."  
"I like cooking. I really do — so if you don’t want to — then I’m happy to do it."  
"Really? Because — I don’t want to –"  
"What…"  
"Push you into a role — the one who always cooks… and lifts heavy stuff… and –"  
"Neither of those things bothers me at all."  
"I know. And I bet you clean really fast too."  
"Well… yeah. I guess I do."  
"That doesn’t leave me with much to do."  
"You write the brilliant stories."  
"But you do that too."  
"But it’s as hard for me to do those things as it is for you. The other stuff is easy. So I’m  
actually taking the lazy way out."  
"You mean you’re really lazy? You should have told me this before we went public with  
this thing."  
"I guess I should have mentioned it."  
"You know — I don’t have much by way of food. Why don’t I go get — what is it? What’s  
wrong…?"  
"Fire, Lois — on the other side of Metropolis. A tenement house. I have to go –"  
"Go! Go! I’ll be fine — come back here when you’re done."  
He hugged her quickly and then stepped away. In a whirl, Superman stood there.  
He smiled at her. "Love you!" And then, he was off.  
Lois stood alone — marveling at the strange nature of her life.  
<<Here one minute. Gone, literally the next. But — he’ll come back. And that’s all that  
matters in the end. So. I need to get food… and I also think I want to hit the gym — so…  
gym first… food later… evening edition will be out in a few hours, so I have enough time  
to get what I need and get back before getting mobbed. >>  
She quickly changed into gym gear, and made her way out the door.  
Lois entered through the doors of her very trendy gym. She had chosen this gym because  
a lot of politicians and celebrities went here. It was a good way to pick up on the pulse of  
what was happening in certain circles. Right now, she was grateful because it also  
afforded her a measure of privacy. Although the news of her and Clark’s engagement was  
still a blissful secret for a few more short hours, she was still the subject of a lot of gossip  
and speculation… both because she had launched her campaign against Clark, and  
because she had been seen with him a lot in the last few months. But people here would  
not come right up to her and ask her about it. There was an unspoken social rule in the  
gym that you didn’t harass your fellow patrons. Although Lois was the press, she never  
infringed on people when they were here, and she was guessing she would get the same  
courtesy.  
She was unprepared to find Lana Lang on the elliptical trainer.  
<<Oh. Now, if this isn’t gossip worthy… I just don’t know what is.>>  
She was a little dismayed to see her friend there — both because of the gossip potential,  
and also because she didn’t want to inadvertently confide in Lana about her idea about  
having Clark do some evil-Kal-El role playing.  
<<Will I be able to play it cool with her? She’s so perceptive.>>  
Lana saw her, and gave her a big smile. She didn’t however stop her own workout, and  
attempt to invade Lois’s space. She felt it was important that Lois make her own choice as  
to whether or not to approach her.  
Lois moved in towards where the trainers were, and gracefully stepped into the one to the  
right of Lana.  
"Hey you," she said with a shy smile. "I didn’t even know you went here."  
"Same here! I think it’s really great we go to the same gym! Maybe we can motivate each  
other to come more. Although you don’t look like you need the motivation!"  
"Neither do you. But for me – it has been a while. I’ve been doing a lot of yoga at home,  
and I haven’t needed to worry about fat… I’m still trying to put weight back on."  
"You look fantastic, Lois," she said.  
"I need more… definition. I’m planning on going back to my old regime — including the  
self defense stuff. That was always fun."  
"Boxing?"  
"Tae Kwon Do, actually."  
"Oooo. Kickboxing. Real kickboxing — not just the cardio version."  
"Yeah. It’s come in handy on more than one occasion."  
"You do live dangerously sometimes."  
"But I like boxing too — do you spar at all? Because if you do — we could be sparring  
partners."  
"The press would love that Lois. Can you just imagine a photo of the two of us facing off?"  
She laughed. "That would be pretty funny! Speaking of the press — we gave our interview  
to Cat, so… soon — things… might get weird — even for you — our having this  
conversation now… well — it’s one thing… but after…"  
"Listen. I’ve been through quite a bit with the press myself… being engaged to Clark, and  
then having it all fall apart… oh boy, it’s been a ride…"  
"I’m sure it has. I’m sorry. That had to have been hard…"  
"The woman who Superman jilted. Yeah."  
"Is that how it looked?"  
"Publicly. Nobody would ever believe that it was a mutual thing — what woman in her  
right mind, after all, would jilt this gorgeous man that so many women wanted."  
"Sorry again," she said, feeling guilty, even though she had no reason.  
"No… I’m not. It wasn’t fun to go through, but now, it’s over, and things are better."  
"Well. Good."  
"Are you — worried at all — about the press?"  
"Well, I am the press — so I know — I know what to expect… so. Yes. Terrified. But you  
know — what can I do about it? Nothing. So — I’ll just get through it — like you did.  
Eventually they’ll lose interest… I hope."  
Forty-five minutes later, the women both stepped off their trainers.  
"Did you want to lift?"  
"No. I was planning on getting some groceries at the markets, and then heading back  
home. Clark had to go away on a rescue, but he promised to cook dinner — so… I’m here  
to do my part."  
"Oh. Clark’s cooking. You’ll have to really keep your gym habit with him in your life. I  
think I lost ten pounds after our relationship ended — not because I was unhappy, but  
because I wasn’t being fed like that anymore."  
"Thanks for the warning."  
"Well, I’m heading out too. Want company? There’s this little cheese shop at the markets  
that I’ve been eager to go investigate." "Yeah! I’d love it!!"  
The two women ignored the furtive glances and hushed whispers and made their way to  
the locker room. Twenty minutes later, they hit the pavement, and headed towards the  
market. En route, they were subjected to even more stares.  
"Forget them," said Lana. "They’re just in awe of our beauty."  
Lois laughed at that. "Yeah. Here in Metropolis, where models and actresses are  
plentiful… but… okay — I’ll be happy enough to believe that!"  
Lois was having such fun bantering with Lana that she failed to see the young man on the  
roller-blades who had suddenly lost control after swerving to avoid hitting another person  
on a scooter. Before she knew what was happening, she was on the ground, looking up in  
confusion at the man who had knocked her down. Voices were all around her as people  
crowded in. Her mind started to buzz and spin in the confusion, and she was hardly aware  
of Lana crouching by her side asking nervously if she was all right.  
She put her hand up to shield the sun from her eyes and squinted at the man who stood  
in her line of sight. He was tall, dark haired, well built, and wearing black.  
<<Lord Kal-El!>>  
Her mind went spinning into a black hole as the panic attack overtook her. She pulled in  
on herself, trying to make herself as invisible as possible, and she began to whimper.  
<<Oh god! Oh god! Oh god!>>  
The man bent towards her — reaching out a hand to help her up, but all she could do was  
cringe away from him in terror. She didn’t even hear Lana asking the man to give her  
some space.  
"It was an accident," he said nervously. "Really! I didn’t mean – I didn’t do it on purpose —  
I — I –"  
Before anyone could say anything further, Clark arrived… or rather… Superman did. He  
landed urgently and then approached her carefully.  
"Lois?"  
She shook her head, which was now buried in her hands. "No — oh no… oh no… this isn’t  
happening."  
"Lana — what happened?"  
"Nothing — it was just an accident — he knocked her down — but it was just an accident."  
The man was looking at him now, fear in his eyes.  
<<Am I going to jail for this? And didn’t I read that these two might be dating? Oh my  
god — I just pushed down Superman’s girlfriend!>>  
"Listen — listen — Superman — I didn’t mean — I –"  
Clark looked over at him.  
<<Damn. I wish I were dressed like Clark. Not only is this guy all freaked out about how  
I’m going to react, and maybe I can thank my clone for that… but now Lois might freak  
out when she sees me, and that will really upset her later on. It can’t be helped. If I  
change, it’ll draw attention to the fact that she finds Superman upsetting sometimes.  
Listen to me. Talking about both my identities in the third person.>>  
"I think… I think she knows that," he said carefully, trying to calm the man down.  
Lana ran a gentle hand down Lois’s arm.  
"Lois. LOIS. Can you hear me?"  
"I — I — I –"  
"Can you here me? It’s Lana. Lana Lang. Can you focus — focus on my voice? Who am I?"  
"La- Lana."  
"We were at the gym, remember? And now we were headed to the markets? You fell down.  
That’s all. It was an accident. This guy here – he didn’t mean it. "  
She opened her eyes fearfully and saw the blurry dark-clad shape. "No — No — that’s —  
that’s him — that’s –"  
"Just a guy — on roller-blades. Really."  
Reality trickled in.  
<<Oh my god. This isn’t happening. Am I really having a panic attack? Here? On the  
streets of Metropolis?>>  
"And Clark’s here. Superman’s here," whispered Lana in her ear. "He’s afraid to come too  
close, but he’s trying not to draw attention to that fact. Can you keep it together for a few  
moments longer? We’ll get you out of here, but just try to remember — this is Clark… not  
Kal-El."  
<<Oh no. I can’t even believe this. I’ve made a huge scene — a huge scene…>>  
Lois looked around her and saw the crowd of onlookers. She saw Clark. Superman. Her  
heart sank in dread.  
<<Kal-El would have been so angry if I had done something like this.>>  
"Oh… oh god…."  
Oblivious now of the crowd, needing to connect with Clark, she looked up at him, grief in  
her eyes and voice.  
"I’ve made such a scene… I’ve…" She stopped, expelling a frantic breath. "I — I…"  
Clark sensed that she wanted him to come over to her.  
<<Damn it. I’m doing it. I’m changing into my street clothes. >>  
Superman blurred practically into invisibility, and then Clark was there. He ignored the  
gasps of amazement, and approached the woman he loved. He crouched down in front of  
her. "Lois? You okay?"  
She looked at him. "I made a fool of myself — and — I drew attention — and — I — I made  
a big scene — "  
"It’s okay," he said quietly. "You’re fine. You’re fine — and that’s all that matters." His  
voice was very gentle as he tried to reassure her.  
"I — I –"  
He reached a tentative hand out to her, to stroke her arm and she leaned into him. If there  
was any doubt about their relationship  
in the eyes of the onlookers, this moment would clear that up. These two people were  
clearly together.  
"Want me to help you up?" His voice was low, near her ear. For her hearing only.  
"Yeah — just a little tug, Okay? I don’t want to look helpless- more so than I already do."  
He helped her stand up without making it overtly look like he was doing so. She stepped  
away a few inches and looked around her, as if seeing the world for the very first time.  
<<Oh god. This is the most… humiliated… >>  
The man who had collided into her was still there, and she could feel his fear and  
nervousness coming off in waves. She forced herself to find a calm space deep within, and  
put a reassuring smile on her face as she turned to him.  
"I’m sorry," she said, her voice surprising even her in its even and calm tones. "I — I’m  
suffering from post traumatic stress disorder," she said in a matter-of-fact way. "It  
sometimes causes me to have flashbacks or panic attacks — and our collision just  
triggered one. I’m really sorry for upsetting you. I know that it was an accident. So does  
everyone else here."  
"I — I — thank you," he gasped out. "I didn’t mean — I’d never push a girl down — I –"  
She smiled. "I know. I’m really sorry I made you feel bad."  
"Oh. No. It’s okay. It really is."  
"Good… then… we can all… you know… disperse," she said, speaking to the crowd  
around them. "Come on… disperse… there’s a good crowd."  
Clark watched her in awe as she slipped into her sarcastic/caustic mode to get the crowd  
to break up.  
<<She’s an artist.>>  
Deciding that she’d already lost her anonymity, she linked one arm with Clark’s, and her  
other arm with Lana’s, and spoke loudly and brightly. "Okay — let’s finish that shopping  
trip. Clark – you coming?"  
Immediately her bravado began to desert her, and she felt an onslaught of panic and  
claustrophobia. The whole world was now staring at her, and she couldn’t deal with the  
bubble of tension growing in her chest making it impossible to breathe. She was getting  
dizzier by the second — any minute now, she would be on the ground unconscious.  
"Lois … are you okay?"  
Luckily for her, she wasn’t alone. Two people who cared for her very much were by her  
side, ready to do whatever she needed them to do to save the day. Sharp contrast to that  
time when she lived in deep fear and misery, alone in her suffering, unable to turn to  
anyone for help.  
"No. I… I can’t do this! The press — everyone — they’re rallying now. I made a huge scene  
and that’s news, because it involved you, and now — any second now we’re about to be  
surrounded, and I’m a mess… I don’t want to talk to anyone right now about us, or what  
happened — or –"  
"You want to get out of here?"  
"Yes!"  
"I can do that. So — just say the word."  
"The word."  
"Lana, sorry to –"  
"You guys get to safety. I’ll brave whatever hordes choose to mob me. I’m an expert by  
now, and very well versed in getting them to back off."  
"Lana, this is my fault," Lois said becoming increasingly more distressed. "You are being  
dragged back into this whole public- eye thing because of me — that isn’t fair –"  
"Nonsense. Lois you didn’t ask to be put through the hell that you were put through. And  
you didn’t put a gun to my head and force me to befriend you. Don’t worry about me, just  
get on out of here!"  
Clark looked around. Eyes were clearly cast their way.  
"Look Lois — getting out of the public eye to do this isn’t going to be easy –"  
"Can we just go skyward? Please? Your place?"  
He wrapped an arm around her waist and just took off, ignoring the feeling of weirdness  
at doing so in his street clothes. He didn’t want to turn into Superman and draw even  
more attention — he just wanted to get them out of there. Sure, it would be on the  
evening news, but they just had to get used to that – the fact that they were both news,  
and would be for a very long time.  
Lois leaned into him the entire ride, but didn’t attempt to talk. He respected that and was  
quiet on the flight.  
He arrived at his apartment and within moments, they were safely inside. Even he felt a  
rush of relief as he shut the door.  
Lois sank into his biggest couch and buried her head in her hands.  
"I can’t even begin to believe that this happened."  
He stood by quietly — not knowing how to respond.  
"I’m sorry," she said. "I’m sorry I turned us into such a media circus."  
"Lois — you don’t need to feel badly on my account. I’m just worried about you."  
"That poor guy — he must have thought I was insane."  
"I think your explanation refutes that."  
"Now people will be hammering to know about why I have PTSD."  
"It’s in keeping with what Cat’s going to print … and — remember — you don’t have to  
answer any questions you don’t want to."  
"Right … it’s a free country."  
"Exactly."  
She nodded firmly. "Okay then."  
"You still feel really badly about this, don’t you?"  
"Damn it Clark!!!! I mean — all it took was a tall, dark-haired man dressed in black to  
freak me out. Is that my life now? I see anyone who even remotely reminds me of Kal-El,  
and I flip out?"  
"No. If that were your life, you couldn’t be having this conversation with me without  
flipping out."  
"It’s just that I feel like I have so much healing to do — I’m so far from being normal."  
"I — I think you’ve come a really long way — what happened to you was horrible — and  
I’m thinking most people would have taken a lot longer than you to even get this far."  
"It seems like an eternity since I got back, and I still can’t — stand the sight of a man  
dressed in black? Come on… it’s idiotic."  
"It’s a trigger, Lois — and there’s nothing idiotic about that."  
"I’m done with this. Clark. I want to be free of this!"  
"In time – I’m sure –"  
"No! Not in time. No being patient. I’ve had it with that. I … I … Clark –" She stopped  
talking and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.  
<<This is it. I’m going to bring it up. >>  
"Uh… I’ve been reading up on trauma therapy, and I found something which I’d been kind  
of thinking we might want to try. I’ve been sort of afraid to bring it up with you — afraid  
of how you might react –"  
"Lois — you never have to be afraid of -"  
"I know. Sorry. I interrupted. That was rude. But… I mean — more like — you might be  
really horrified — or hurt by what I’m about to suggest… and I’m sorry — because I don’t  
want you to be, but I also don’t want to be trapped like this anymore."  
He was cautious in answering. "Of course — I want to help you in any way I can. Why don’t  
you just tell me what you had in mind, and then we can go from there."  
She took a deep breath and looked at him nervously.  
<<How the heck do I even begin to talk about this?>>  
He saw her nervousness and didn’t know how to help. "Lois — you don’t have to talk  
about this if you aren’t ready to do so."  
"I know. But you know if I don’t I’ll just obsess about it."  
"Okay…"  
"So… the therapy I had in mind was… um… aversion therapy — which involves… some  
amount of role-playing."  
Dread gripped him as he heard her words.  
<<Oh no. Please don’t let her mean what I think she might mean.>>  
"What… does that involve?" His expression was guarded as he asked the question. Maybe  
I’m way off base. It might not be that bad.  
"Well — role-playing is where you — uh — pretend to be someone else."  
"So — you would pretend to be someone else?"  
"No. You would… pretend to be… someone. Else. Specifically… Lord Kal-El."  
"No! Lois — No! I couldn’t — I could never do that. Please, Lois — I couldn’t do that." He  
took a few steps back, horrified by the suggestion.  
"Clark — it really is supposedly a very effective treatment, and — it can kind of shock you  
into -"  
"Lois, you know I’d help you in any way that made sense — but this seems crazy. I can’t  
even imagine pretending to be him without wanting to throw up. Please –"  
"You don’t have to go all out, Clark — I just … some small things… start small?"  
"Like…"  
"Well — you could… dress like him… just wear black, and maybe try to… carry yourself as  
if you were him."  
"Lois," he said. "I don’t like this idea."  
"I’m not suggesting you do anything violent or… hurtful –"  
"This isn’t hurtful? It’s horrible!"  
"I know, Clark — but if I can relive some of the stress and horror in a safe environment, it  
could help me compartmentalize it in such a way that it will be less … extreme. Clark, I  
never want to go through what I went through this afternoon again. And what if it were  
you that I freaked out on? In public? How could I ever live with that? Now that people know  
–"  
"So it was too soon for you," he said, his voice despairing. "We shouldn’t have told people  
yet!"  
"It WASN’T too soon," she yelled.  
He paused for a moment, startled by her anger.  
"I’m sorry," she said, feeling stupid. "I just… feel that — worrying about that — is taking  
away from the … the present. I need for you to do this, Clark."  
"It sounds like a recipe for disaster. I can’t see how this could be anything but horrible."  
"I want to try it," she said firmly. "But I can’t force you. I just thought you – you said you’d  
try anything to help me."  
<<Oh god. How can he stand me? I’m a jerk — I’m manipulating him into doing this.>>  
"Lois… I would — but this — I mean — this…. This…. could tear us apart. I — I — how can  
you even want me to do this –"  
"I don’t! And I do — I’m … I’m scared too, Clark. I don’t want this to tear us apart — I  
really don’t. I don’t want to destroy this wonderful thing that we have — but I really  
believe this will work."  
"I –"  
"I want to diminish his impact on my life, Clark. Please. Clark. Kal-El. Please."  
"No fair calling me that, Lois," he said in agitation. "You have to know that it hurts to hear  
you call me that."  
"I know. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a jerk. I’m just trying to point out that this is always  
going to be there between us — in some form or another — unless we banish him — we  
can do that — together. We can make this work. It will work, Clark. I know that nothing  
could ever tear me away from you. NOTHING. Isn’t it obvious — at this point — the fact  
that I was able to overcome my very intense fears of you — obviously we’re meant to be  
together… soul mates…."  
"You really … really want me to do this?" His voice was ragged.  
"I do. I really… really… really do."  
Worriedly he looked at her. "I’ll do what you want, Lois. But… for the record. I’m scared as  
hell."  
"Me too," she replied gently.  
"So how do we do this?"  
"Start with something easy? You could wear all black…"  
He took a deep breath. "All right…"  
He disappeared for a brief second, and returned, clad entirely in black. He stood there, his  
stance worried and defensive as he regarded her warily.  
"Okay… all black."  
She swallowed the initial nervousness from her throat at the sight.  
<<God, he looks so much like Kal-El when he dresses like that.>>  
"See. I already see it in your eyes," he muttered. "Fear and… worry… and –"  
"It’s okay though," she retorted. "I’m doing okay."  
"Well — so… now what?"  
"Approach me menacingly."  
He looked at her in disbelief. "I couldn’t do that. I mean — approaching anyone  
menacingly is hard enough — but you? How can I even make it believable. Lois — I’m a  
reporter. Not an actor."  
"Imagine I’m Lex Luthor."  
"Impossible."  
"Clark! Please!"  
He closed his eyes, took a deep steadying breath, and walked towards her. She stood with  
folded arms, shaking her head.  
"Not even remotely close to menacing. "  
"Lois. I told you I couldn’t do it," he reminded her gently.  
"You can do it. You just won’t. I wouldn’t be… mocking your efforts if I believed you were  
really giving it your full effort. Come on. Go back and try again."  
"You should have been a movie director," he said, as he walked back, feeling slightly put  
off by the whole thing.  
"Think menacing. What’s your motivation? Imagine Lord Kal-El is standing here, and you  
want to give him a piece of your mind for what he did to me. Here…" She flooded his head  
with imagines of Lord Kal-El. "See him?"  
"I see him," he said, wincing. "Can you stop that, please? Having him in my mind is…"  
"Not until you approach me menacingly. See what he looks like, and do that."  
Clark looked at her, and then he closed his eyes focusing on the unwanted image in his  
head. Just seeing Kal-El, seeing how she saw Kal-El – it was enough to make him angry.  
He tried to mimic his stance. He curled his hands into fists, and poised his body with the  
deadly stance of a panther about to spring.  
Lois saw the transformation and forced herself not to gasp aloud. Doing so would surely  
break his concentration. She braced herself for the experience to come.  
Clark opened his eyes, and fixed his gaze on hers, trying desperately to do what he saw  
Kal-El doing in his vision. He looked at her hard, and not breaking gaze at all, he  
approached her with slow and frightening intent.  
Dread flooded her, and she had to fight back the very tangible need to back away from  
him. She held her ground only by fiercely reminding herself that this was Clark. But the  
transformation was so complete. It was truly as if Lord Kal-El were here, and she could  
feel herself slipping back into old reactions. Desperately she wanted to look down, to beg  
for mercy, and it unnerved her how totally terrified she had become.  
<<Oh dear God. This was a bad idea! This was — a — bad idea! >>  
He stood right in front of her now, and she was shaking. She knew she was, and she felt  
her heart racing. She kept her gaze on his cold and icy one as she waited for what he  
would do next.  
He continued to gaze at her a few minutes longer, registering her absolute terror.  
<<And this is helping how, exactly, Lois?>>  
She waited a few more eternities, and then the idea that he had no idea what to do next  
trickled into her brain. She had to fight back the sudden giddy laugh that threatened to  
explode.  
<<What do I want him to do? If he talks to me, it’ll be in his voice — and I’m not sure he  
can mimic him to that level… so … so… what?>>  
An image suddenly flashed through her memory. She knew then what to do.  
Not daring to even ask him to do what she wanted him to do, she grasped his hand, all  
the while fighting back the instinctive terror at touching him when he looked like this.  
Daring to do this with Lord Kal-El would have earned her a blow.  
Clark’s hand stiffened when she grasped it, but beyond that, he didn’t react outwardly. He  
let her do whatever she was doing, his heart pounding in his chest.  
She couldn’t make eye-contact, and she unconsciously bit her lip as she moved his hand  
higher up. She held her breath and then made the decision to move forward. She took his  
hand and placed it on her throat, trying to wrap his fingers around her neck.  
He recoiled sharply and drew his hand back, taking a few steps back. She was caught off  
guard by his movement, and staggered back from the backlash of his recoil. Immediately,  
he moved forward at super-speed to grip her shoulders carefully to prevent her from  
falling.  
They stood there for a few very tense moments, her eyes meeting up with his, and then,  
he very carefully released his hold on her and stepped back a few paces, needing some  
space.  
She was very silent, aware now that she had shocked him deeply, and she was at a loss as  
to how to proceed. She would let him break the silence when he was ready.  
His eyes were no longer cold and icy. Distress radiated clearly from them, and she felt a  
surge of something she couldn’t yet identify.  
Finally, he spoke, his voice ragged with strong emotions.  
"My god! What… what… were you doing?"  
"I…"  
Before she could finish, he interrupted.  
"Lois — I — I can’t do this. I can’t do this – I can’t. I don’t want to do this — and — and  
you aren’t even hearing me here… I — I… it was one thing to dress in black — okay —  
that’s… that’s fine, and understandable… and even the menacing thing — even though —  
I… I… I … hate… that you forced him into my head…. But… even that…. Okay — you  
needed me to understand… but this? I mean — this??? It’s…."  
"I thought you wanted to help me," she wailed plaintively.  
"I do! I do — but this — this is too much — this is — I can’t do this!"  
"I don’t get why you won’t help me," she said frustrated and angry. "You said you would  
try anything — I don’t see why this is — why you won’t do this?"  
"I keep trying to tell you this makes me uncomfortable and unhappy but you keep trying  
to diminish how I feel — pushing it aside, saying it doesn’t matter. Don’t you see? Don’t  
you see what we — what you are risking here? Don’t you care?"  
"I told you — I don’t think that this will drive a rift between us. God. Clark. I’m just trying  
to purge myself of some of this fear — some of these feelings. I want us to be on equal  
footing!"  
"We are on equal footing!"  
"Are we? You … you have all the power in this relationship. You … you’re the strong one  
— not just with the powers, but emotionally — and I’m the one — who needs help —  
needs healing — and… things aren’t equal — and… maybe — maybe you like it like that?  
Maybe — that’s why you are resisting so hard!"  
"Are you serious — you can’t seriously believe even a word of that?"  
"Kal-El liked it when I was afraid of him. Maybe you have more in common with him than  
you know."  
Clark drew in a sharp breath and she saw that she had gone too far. She didn’t even  
pause to consider that the fear she was feeling now was the fear of having pushed a man  
who meant so much to her to a point where he might walk away. She wasn’t afraid, not  
even in the slightest that he might hurt her physically.  
"Clark. Clark. God. I’m sorry. I didn’t.. I didn’t mean that."  
He looked at her for a long moment, trying to read the truth in her eyes. Finally, he  
nodded.  
"I know. I know you didn’t mean it. I know that. But… what I also just heard is that you will  
say something — that horrible — in order to try to guilt me into doing something I really  
desperately don’t want to do. Lois… can’t you see," he said, his voice a pained entreaty.  
"Can’t you see you’re … you’re forcing me into something I don’t want to do? You’re…  
you’re …being the bully here?"  
Lois became pale as his words sank in. She staggered back a few steps, trying to get what  
he was saying through her mind. Had she really been that horrible to him? She closed her  
eyes in an attempt to block out sensory input so she could get her thoughts back in  
control.  
Clark watched her, his anger fading. In its place was fear.  
<<She’s afraid of me. I’m angry — and she knows it, and now she’s afraid.>>  
"Clark…" Her voice was ragged with the strain of not giving into the tears which  
threatened to fall. "My God. Clark. I’m so sorry. So… sorry."  
"You don’t have to apologize," he said in a rush to reassure her. "I — I — I’m sorry. I  
shouldn’t have gotten so upset — I –"  
"Clark! Stop — stop it! Stop!"  
Her words got through, and he stopped in his verbal tracks. He waited, watching her with  
trepidation.  
"You shouldn’t apologize when you didn’t do anything wrong. You… you were right. I —  
I’m a bully. I’m using my experiences to force you into a course of action that scares you.  
You’re scared — of losing me. Of losing us. And — I treated your fears as if they were  
inconsequential. I’m sorry. That’s no way to act — not to your best friend… not to the  
person you love."  
"I… it’s okay."  
"It isn’t okay. But… I promise to do better. I promise to be more… aware. I … I promise."  
Her gaze met his unwaveringly.  
<<Please don’t leave me.>>  
He nodded. "And… maybe we can talk about this, and … I — I do want to help you. If  
pretending I’m him so you can yell at him helps — yeah, I’ll do that… but… we have to  
talk about it — and kind of plan it out, because — what… that…"  
"I know," she said calmingly. "I know."  
There was a long and awkward pause. And then, he spoke.  
"We…we just had our first fight."  
"We did."  
"I was afraid of … our first fight."  
"You were?"  
"I was afraid that you might…see me as him… which… when you think about what just  
happened… seems… kind of ironic."  
"I was afraid of that too," she said honestly.  
"But it didn’t happen?" He watched her carefully for her response.  
"No. But I was afraid…"  
"You were? Oh god — I knew it — I –"  
"No. I was afraid of losing you. If anything… I channeled Lord Kal-El. I’m sorry. I forced  
him into your head, just like he used to do to me, and then I bullied you into doing  
something you didn’t want to do — just like him."  
"You aren’t anything like him."  
"I guess I’m my own special kind of selfish then… Clark … if you want to back out of  
this… I won’t stop you."  
"Lois. I most definitely do not want to back out of this."  
"You sure? Just because we told everyone is no reason to feel like you have to –"  
Her words were cut off as he suddenly reached for her and pulled her close for a  
passionate and soul-searing kiss. All was forgotten in the wild clashing of their mouths  
and tongues, and all she knew was an urgent desire to get as close to him as was  
humanly possible.  
It seemed as the kiss went on forever. Alternating intensity — from gentle, to fierce, and  
back again, they clung to each other as if for life.  
Lois reveled in the pleasure of his hands tightly holding her and pulling her in so closely  
to his body — she could feel the heat of him practically burning a brand on her skin —  
and she thrilled to it. She would belong to this man — with this man — with not a  
single qualm — because he was as much hers as she was his.  
The feeling of his lips moving over hers, of his tongue engaged in duel with hers, the  
press of his skin against hers — the very slight rasp of stubble … and the smell of him —  
all these things were overtaking her senses — drugging her, and filling her with the  
single-minded desire to drag him into his bedroom and have her way with him.  
The phone rang sharply. Clark reluctantly broke off the kiss — she could hear his labored  
breathing and she saw the look of intense and glittering need in his eyes. She gave him a  
slow and seductive smile, unable to stop herself. She knew she presented an equal picture  
of need and desire to him.  
Reluctantly he broke her compelling gaze and looked over at the phone – using his special  
abilities to identify who was calling.  
She fully expected him to go answer the phone, but he just turned back to her and  
crushed her urgently back into another series of kisses. She felt herself go off balance as  
he swung her into his arms, and not protesting or fearing where he might take her, she  
adjusted her hold so she was holding on comfortably, all the while kissing him back with  
the same passion he was showing her.  
Expecting the dark of his bedroom, she was startled to find that he had put her gently on  
the couch, and was following her down, pressing her back against the cushions as one  
kiss kept leading into the other. This time, his hands started to roam under the fabric of  
her shirt, and she sighed happily as she felt the bare skin of his fingers on her sensitive  
skin.  
She moaned against his kiss, and perversely he broke it off a moment to look deeply into  
her eyes.  
"This okay?" His voice was deepened by the passion she had helped induce. She loved that  
sound, how it reverberated through his chest, rumbling against her — making her feel a  
combination of incredibly safe and secure — as well as acutely endangered. She wasn’t  
afraid of him, she was just riding the wave of a passion that had the power to blow both  
of them away.  
She shook her head, unable to speak, pulling him back down to meet her, murmuring a  
throaty, "but this is," as she engaged him in another round of kissing.  
They kissed like this for another age, their hands becoming bolder — covering more  
ground, learning, loving and soothing each other from their earlier battle.  
Clark broke the kiss again — gently pushing down on her hands to prevent her from  
pulling him down again.  
She watched him seriously, waiting to see what he was going to say.  
"That was Perry," he whispered, his voice sending shivers of delight down her spine.  
"Oh," she gasped. "Good for him!"  
Uncaring about the phone, she tried to lift her hands to clasp his face so she could pull  
him in for more of those incredible kisses. He didn’t release her, and her hands were  
restrained. A bubble of worry grew unbidden in her chest. He was still wearing black and  
the memory of him trying to act like Kal-El rose fresh in her mind — she could see him …  
his hands curled into deadly fists, and his eyes glittering with cold and danger. Suddenly  
she was very aware of his weight pushing her back, his hands holding her down — and a  
sense of overarching menace flooded her entire being.  
"Clark," she gasped out, her voice holding fear where passion once was. "Please… let …  
let me –"  
He instantly saw what was upsetting her and with amazing speed, he left her personal  
space and released the grip he had on her. He helped her gently to sit upright, letting her  
go when he felt she could manage it herself.  
"Lois — I didn’t think — I’m sorry — I just — I just wanted to — talk to you before you –"  
"Grabbed you again," she said, feeling stupid now that the imminent fear of being harmed  
was gone.  
"I should have thought — that doing that would – and… dressed like this… I’m sorry…"  
She leaned in towards him, and stroked his face with her hand.  
"No. Don’t be, Clark. I know that the role-playing idea — brought up a lot of pain and fear  
for you. But — it’s this kind of thing — it’s not really acting like Kal-El — but it’s …  
evoking him, I guess. You did something that was entirely Clark — you were trying to get  
a word in edgewise, and you were very gentle holding me there, you weren’t pinning me  
down — you just happen to be strong enough to restrain someone like that without  
exerting much muscle of your own. But it – to me — it resonated of a different experience,  
and it brought out some stuff… and maybe that’s not so bad. Maybe that’s how we can try  
this … thing — not — so much role-playing, as… triggering… occasionally… but only —  
only if – uh — you feel absolutely comfortable with that."  
His eyes regarded her worriedly. He could see that she had recovered quickly from her  
burst of panic, and that maybe she was right — maybe occasionally doing something like  
that might help her rewrite her responses to certain stimulus — at the same time… he  
didn’t want to mess things up.  
"Listen," she said, fretting about his long silence. "Forget it, because — I don’t want to  
make you do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable."  
"You aren’t," he said quickly. "I just… wanted to think about it. I think… within limits –" He  
grinned at her suddenly. "Which hopefully we both can set…. I … agree with you — that  
it’s a … worthwhile thing to do — but…. you should indicate if you want me to try  
something — right? I mean, I did that without thinking — and without any intent to worry  
you… But — I don’t want to do it that way again — because I don’t want you worrying  
when we are close like that — that I’ll try a trigger on you – I don’t want you to be  
surprised about it."  
She nodded. "Good idea, my love."  
She leaned into him and kissed him sweetly. He responded, keeping his kiss as gentle as  
he could.  
She pulled back and smiled at him provocatively.  
"So… what was so important — that you were fending off my kisses," she asked in a  
gently teasing tone.  
"Oh… I — I — I just wanted to say that…. I’ll bet that Perry was calling to let us know that  
news of our engagement has hit the newsstands."  
She paused to consider that.  
"Wow! You’re probably right. Do you want to call him back?"  
"No."  
"So… what do you want to do?"  
He grinned back at her, giving his full-blast mega-watt — drop- dead-gorgeous smile  
that always made her knees go absolutely weak.  
She smiled back. "I was hoping you’d say that."  
"I didn’t say anything."  
"Mmm. Body language," she said suggestively as her hand slowly caressed his leg.  
"Ah! Yeah — if you — if you do that… I… I can’t think…"  
"Not a bad thing. Sometimes thinking is vastly overrated."  
"Yeah. Thinking. Overrated." He gazed at her, transfixed, unable now to put a sentence  
together properly.  
She licked her lips, and that was all it took. Moving gracefully, he closed in on her, pulling  
her in, pushing her back, his lips ravaging hers impatiently. His lips traced a fiery path  
down her jawbone, resting tantalizingly at her pulse point, only to return to her waiting  
lips. One of his hands caressed her through the fabric of her shirt, and she made a sound  
deep in her throat at the incredibly alluring contact.  
"Clark," gasped out as she pushed him away a few centimeters. "Can you… try that thing  
again?"  
"You mean this," his voice rasped out as he once more kissed her pulse point. "Or this?"  
And his hand gently skimmed over her body again, giving her a caress that actually  
threatened to liquefy her bones.  
"I mean…" she gasped out, her voice barely loud enough to be heard by human ears. "I  
mean… hold me down."  
He stiffened just a bit and pulled back some more so he could see her face clearly.  
"Why? I mean — why now?" A slow grin took his face. "I already told you what I meant to  
tell you — it’s not like I want to hold you back…"  
She smiled back, but there was worry in her eyes. "I just… want to … master that. But if  
you don’t want to — I’m happy — more than happy — to do what we’ve been doing…" Her  
voice trailed off suggestively. She really was happy to not go with her plan — just the idea  
that he was willing to try this with her made her less frantic to do it all tonight.  
He didn’t speak, but his expression had turned serious again. Wordlessly, he glanced  
down at his own body, seeing his clothing, and then he looked at her and took in her lack  
of fear of him … dressed like this… making out so wildly.  
He seemed to come to a decision, and after leaning in to deposit a very gentle kiss on her  
lips, he moved his hands so that they very carefully held her hands against the couch. He  
wasn’t exerting any force at all and she knew that if she tried to push back, she would be  
free. She furrowed her brow very slightly and then waited to see if he would apply any  
pressure.  
He tightened his grip fractionally, and she pressed up against it to test her freedom. She  
couldn’t break his grip. He continued to gaze at her carefully, poised to let her go if she  
demanded it.  
He was afraid to talk to her, afraid to break the moment, so instead, he moved forward,  
closing his eyes as he did so, once again pushing her back against the cushions of the  
couch. He let her feel the length of his body against hers as he joined her in another  
sensual and drugging kiss.  
Her heart was pounding — fear or desire – he wasn’t absolutely sure. She wasn’t either.  
She was riding the waves of very intense feeling and she was hard-pressed to define  
them. Her heart was in her throat, and she felt like she was holding her breath. She  
swallowed hard, but otherwise gave no indication of distress or worry.  
It wasn’t long before she forgot to worry. His kisses were driving her insane and whatever  
feelings of fear his restraint of her had caused were swept away by her feelings of desire.  
She kissed him back, matching him again in his passion, thrilling to the feeling of his  
body stretched out against hers. Even the sensation of his very clear need for her served  
only to inflame her senses.  
She wanted to wrap her arms around him, to pull him close. She wanted to feel his hands  
on her body again and so she tugged at his hold, expecting him to let her go. Instead of  
complying, he shifted his grip so he was only using one hand to hold her — and he moved  
the other one lazily across her skin — once again finding the spots of her body that  
absolutely begged for his touch. She arched upwards trying to make better contact with  
him. His lips left hers and begin to tease her pulse point again.  
"Clark! I … I want to touch you," she cried out.  
  
"I know," he said, his voice ringing with love, desire — and a mischievous kind of  
amusement.  
"You have to let me go so I can do that."  
"Are you sure?" His voice was now very throaty, and he looked at her with eyes that  
seemed impossibly black. "Are you sure you don’t want me to do this instead?"  
He shifted his body so that he was able to move his mouth over her body the way his  
hands had been doing. Through the thin fabric of her clothes she could feel the heat of  
his mouth, and  
she arched spasmodically unable to control her response.  
"Ah!" Her voice shook as she cried out at the contact. "Clark! I can’t — you’re driving me  
insane."  
He released her hands at that and she took full advantage of her freedom to pull him  
close.  
She kissed him with a deep and unrestrained passion — one which he returned  
enthusiastically.  
After a long while, they broke apart, and she nestled in against him. They were silent for a  
while and then she spoke.  
"I’d like to spend the night…"  
"You’ll get no complaint from me."  
"But… things are different now."  
"What do you mean?"  
"We’re public now, and you’re this guy that people look up to — a role model to kids —  
and –"  
"And?"  
"I don’t want to be the woman who corrupted Superman…"  
"Oh, Lois — love isn’t corrupting…"  
"But…"  
"You …and me together — there’s nothing wrong with that… nothing at all –"  
"And yet… public perception –"  
"I don’t care…"  
"You do. And I do… if we could manage it discreetly…"  
He winced. "God. I hate that word. Now that we’re openly together — I’d hate to… skulk."  
She giggled. "That’s such a funny word."  
"Lois, only you would say that," he said, giving her an affectionate hug.  
"Clark… maybe we just don’t spend the night together until we’re married."  
"Would that make you feel better?"  
"No," she laughed mirthlessly. "I want to be with you — I hate being apart — especially at  
night or on weekends — or… at times when we normally would be together if we lived in  
the same space."  
"Well… then marry me. Soon. Very soon. And then, we can be together — in the same  
space."  
"Soon? H-How soon?"  
"As soon as we can put this thing together? A month from now? Two?"  
She felt an inward tremor at the thought.  
<<Wedding. Wedding night.>>  
He sensed her withdrawal. He gripped her hands gently in his, and looked at her intently.  
"Lois. I don’t mean to rush you. You can take all the time you need for that… you know  
that. You know I’d never use pressure — physical or psychological — to push you into  
something you weren’t ready for."  
She nodded. "I know," she whispered. "I’m not afraid of that… of you… I guess it’s all me.  
Our wedding night… it should be…"  
"It will be. No matter what happens or doesn’t happen. It will be really incredible."  
She hesitated a long moment, biting her lip as she deliberated over the idea. And then,  
she looked at him with a new resolve.  
"One month."  
"One? Is that long enough — to — get ready?"  
"I –"  
"I mean — to get the wedding ready –not for you –"  
She laughed. "I know… I know… and yes –with my mom on the job — it’ll be –"  
"I’ll help! I mean — it’s not like it’s fair that you have to deal with it all –"  
"I know — and don’t you worry — that’s been the plan all along. It’s just that — mom will  
want to help — this is something she’s been wanting to do since I was born."  
He grinned. "Is this a good thing?"  
"Well… fasten your seatbelt, Superman… because likely it’s going to be a wild ride."  
"Thanks for the warning!"  
"So what do we do now," she said, her expression suddenly worried.  
"Well — what we were doing was pretty good," he said, suggestively.  
"Just ‘pretty good’? Not fabulous?"  
"Fabulous. Amazing. Wonderful."  
She grinned. "Good. You better not start taking me for granted."  
"Oh, believe me. That will never happen."  
"I meant – what do we do now — now that it’s out — now that — I mean — do we go out?"  
"Do you want to go out? Tonight? I know I promised you dinner — and I can do that here,  
or we can go out."  
"What do you want to do?"  
"I think I asked you first."  
"No. I asked you first."  
"I asked you first about going out to dinner."  
She made a face at him. "Oh sure. Make it all my decision."  
"Do you want me to tell you what I want to do before you tell me what you want to do?"  
She nodded. "Just this once though. Don’t get too comfortable with that."  
He grinned again. "I wouldn’t dream of it. Okay. So here it is — the undisguised truth, by  
Clark Kent. I want to stay in. I do not want to be bombarded by press right now. I however  
would love to go out with you if that is what you want."  
"Goody. Looks like we’re both in agreement then. I just didn’t want you to think I was …  
uncomfortable with people knowing about us — that’s insulting to you. I am really thrilled  
people know, and want to gloat to each and every woman out there lusting after you that  
you are mine. How evil is that?"  
He laughed. "Not evil at all. Sweet. You aren’t psycho-possessive Lois, so that sentiment  
isn’t the least bit alarming."  
"Do you feel that way about me? And other men?"  
"Uh — I don’t want you to feel threatened …"  
"Darn it, Clark — just say yes, already."  
"Yes. I do feel that way. Hands off everybody, this woman is with me."  
"Ah. You said it so perfectly too — none of this ‘you’re mine’ stuff that I threw out there."  
"You are mine and I’m yours — that’s a mutually agreed upon thing… no coercion  
involved — now or ever. I mean — if one of us wanted out, then — I guess we’d have to  
just … opt out. No matter how much it hurt."  
"You better not opt out on me, buddy."  
"Lois, I will never stop loving you. I know that. With certainty."  
"Likewise." She leaned in and kissed him again. She broke it off after a long and enjoyable  
moment and smiled at him. "You’re stuck with me. Till death do us part. But then — I do  
tend to get myself into tricky situations — so –"  
"Lois," he shuddered. "Please. Don’t. I don’t even want to think about that. Maybe… just  
maybe… you’ll be more careful now?"  
"As if! Now I have my own personal bodyguard –" She saw the distress in his eyes.  
"Kidding. Kidding. No — I won’t put that kind of burden on you."  
"Lois — I don’t want you to change who you are –or how you do your job… I just don’t  
want to lose you either."  
She hugged him close. "We owe each other now — we owe each other our best efforts at  
staying alive and healthy. So –yes, I will change, but not for you — for us… and you don’t  
need to feel guilty about that — even if my chances for Kerths and Pulitzers fly out the  
window."  
He drew her close and hugged her tight. "God. I just love you so much."  
The phone rang, and they drew apart.  
He looked over at the phone. "It’s Perry again."  
"You can get it. We aren’t otherwise occupied at the moment," she grinned at him.  
"If you keep smiling at me like that, that’ll change," he said.  
"I’ll keep that in mind. Go answer it. Please — give the poor guy a break."  
Clark went over and picked up the phone.  
"Perry! What’s up? A party? Can you hold? Lois…" Clark looked over at her inquiringly.  
"Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling about this," said Lois.  
"Perry wants to throw a party… sort of celebrating the engagement — he wants to invite  
the Daily Planet crowd as well as Lana, her fiancé, and some other folks. Tomorrow night.  
Is… are you okay with that?"  
She gave him a look that clearly said ‘Save me Superman’. "I am… if you are…."  
"Yeah… if you are."  
"Then… why not? "  
Clark returned to the conversation and confirmed with Perry. They talked a short while  
longer and then he hung up the phone.  
"I bet you anything you care to wager that Ralph is going to corner you and either ask you  
why you’re settling down with Lane when you can have any ‘chick’ in the world… or he’s  
going to comment on how it’s a good thing you’re invulnerable because I could freeze a  
normal man to death."  
"You said something like that before. I can’t even imagine that anyone would think that of  
you, and as far as the other women… they all pale in comparison."  
She smiled brightly. "I know. Likewise. I’ve never known anyone like you… despite… you  
know… and — we … we go together. It makes sense. Us. You and I."  
"It sure does," he said warmly coming over to her. As soon as he got close, he pulled her  
close thrilling to the fact that he could now do this — the natural gesture of wanting to  
hold her, wanting to kiss her — he could actually do this — and she welcomed it. It  
boggled his mind. He still remembered their first painful encounter — at least, the first  
one with her conscious… and the time he tried to give her that briefcase.  
"So care to place that wager," she asked as they drew apart.  
"What are we laying down for a bet?"  
"Anything you care to wager."  
"Anything?"  
"Within reason, Clark!"  
"But who defines what’s reasonable?"  
She grinned. "Oh, Okay. You can have all my chocolate bars."  
"Chocolate is not what I’m after," he said with a throaty growl, as he brushed his thumb  
across her lips — causing her heart to skip several beats.  
"Looking for a pound of flesh?" Her voice was shaky as she asked the question.  
"110 pounds?"  
"About that…"  
"Then… yeah…" His voice trailed off as he leaned in slowly. She watched mesmerized and  
then closed her eyes in delighted anticipation of his kiss. His hand was on her waist and  
he pulled her close as he bent forward until they met in another one of those drugging  
kisses which seemed to last forever, and still didn’t last long enough.  
Then, he lifted his head.  
"So… what do you want if you win?"  
"The same thing you want…"  
"Win/Win then."  
"Yeah," she said dreamily, reliving their earlier activities in her mind.  
***  
The next evening, Lois waited for Clark’s arrival with a pounding heart. She was no longer  
afraid of having a fear-reaction upon seeing him — in fact, seeing him made her heart  
beat for other more pleasant reasons.  
She was terrified of facing the public. She felt like she had done something wrong and in a  
way, she had. At least in the eyes of outsiders. She had launched a hate campaign against  
this man, manipulating public opinion, only to end up scooping every other reporter out  
there on the asteroid story, and then scooping every woman who yearned after him by  
getting engaged to him.  
She knew she hadn’t really done anything wrong. Her motivation in launching her  
campaign was honest — she had truly believed him to be just like his doppelganger. And  
while she wrote some of her articles with an ambivalent heart, she did end up giving it all  
up once she really felt in her heart that she was completely wrong about him.  
And as far as getting engaged to him — it’s not as though she’d manipulated him in this  
way. They had simply fallen in love.  
But nonetheless, she knew that she would be held up to some amount of ridicule and  
disgust in the public eye and that really bothered her. Part of her wanted to plead her case  
and let people know exactly why she had done what she had done, but she knew that to  
do so was disastrous — for the safety and sanity of the human race, as well as for Clark’s  
well being.  
If people knew about Lord Kal-El, they would likely start to fear and mistrust Clark, and  
then his life would never be happy. She had dug this particular hole for herself, and she  
would weather it. She had weathered far worse.  
Luckily the people in her life who mattered knew the truth and didn’t hate her nor did  
they fear Clark. In that respect, she had the best of all worlds. Even more important, Clark  
loved her. He loved her without reserve. And that was all she really ever needed.  
There was a knock at the door, and she opened it quickly after verifying it was him.  
He was so absolutely gorgeous he nearly took her breath away. She stood gawking at him  
for a long moment.  
"My god… Clark… you’re just… so…." She stopped as she realized that the door was  
open, he was still outside her apartment, and surely they were being spied upon by the  
neighboring tenants. "Come in!"  
He grinned at her and complied, and she shut the door.  
"Now… where was I?" She launched herself into his arms, and threw her arms around his  
neck urging him down to meet her in a kiss. He returned the embrace, wrapping his arms  
around her, and they kissed, letting all their need and passion come through in this all-  
too-brief contact.  
After long moments they broke apart. She felt a surge of longing for this man, wanting to  
be closer than they’d ever been before. She wanted to make love to him. She wanted that  
with such a deep ferocity and need that it took her breath away. Not very long ago, the  
idea of doing such a thing filled her with worry and fear. And now, it was all she could do  
to restrain and contain herself.  
<<Soon. Soon. Very soon.>>  
"Clark," she whispered. "Do we have to go? Let’s just stay here."  
"Lois," he said regretfully. "Yeah, I think we do kind of have to go. Unless you really, really  
don’t want to."  
"I just want you to myself. I just want to…" She leaned in and whispered the rest into his  
ear. She felt a thrill shoot through her as his hands suddenly gripped her upper arms —  
tightly as if bracing himself against the need that she had just ignited by telling him, in no  
uncertain words, what she wanted from him.  
She was pleased to see that he looked a little less… unruffled when they parted, an impish  
smile on her mouth as she waited for his verbal response.  
His hands were still on her arms, and without any warning at all, he jerked her close  
almost roughly and plundered her mouth with a passion that would have terrified her a  
short time ago. His kiss was relentless and claiming, but always with the promise of  
tenderness. She knew she was safe, even in the maelstrom that she herself had ignited.  
She moaned in her throat and leaned against him, trying to communicate to him her need  
and willingness.  
"God, Lois," he said, after breaking apart from her almost as abruptly as he pulled her  
close. "When you say that… when you do that… I just want to…" A slow smile formed on  
his lips and he leaned in and whispered very close to her ear, causing desire to shoot  
through her at the sensation of him being so close. His breath on her skin, the light touch  
of his lips against her earlobe, the very husky desire-driven tone of his voice, and then —  
above all else, the words he spoke. Aggressive. Passionate. Primal. Needing.  
He stepped back and watched her, a smile matching the one she had worn after unsettling  
him so deeply now resided on his face.  
"Oh," she gasped. "Oh…"  
"Just… you know, so you know it’s not just you," he said, with deliberate mildness.  
"Oh. I get that. Loud and clear. You think you won this round, do you? Well, I’m not done  
with you yet, big fella."  
"Excuse me?"  
"Don’t tell me you didn’t hear me, Mr. Super-hearing."  
He quickly gauged her face for any darkening of expression. Super-hearing was probably  
no something she joked about back in that other world. It probably was something she  
dreaded and loathed.  
Not seeing any panic or pain on her face, he continued with the banter.  
"I was referring to what you called me."  
"Yes?"  
"Big fella?"  
"Well… if the … shoe…fits…"  
"Lois. I don’t know if I can take this anymore. I’m this close to …" And he leaned in to tell  
her again. Startled, she stepped back. "Oh no. You aren’t doing that to me again. I just got  
my heart back to a normal rhythm. Come on, gorgeous. It’s time we left."  
On the car ride over, she began to have major second thoughts about her wanton  
behavior.  
"Clark. I… I feel kind of badly about earlier," she said softly, not looking at him. "I feel like  
I was a tease…"  
"Lois," he said, grasping her hand. "You were a tease. So was I. That’s not a bad thing. I  
like it when you do that… I like it very much."  
She blushed, and then smiled.  
"So you don’t think that… I’m… all talk. No action?"  
"We made the decision to wait. We both agreed on it, and now, we are abiding by that  
agreement… and so why not tease each other about it? Why not drive each other nuts?  
Isn’t that half the fun?"  
She smiled again. "Thanks, Clark. I just didn’t… want you to …"  
"Lois. If anything was bothering me, I promise I’d say something. You … well — yeah —  
you bothered me… if you know what I mean… but in a very good way. And don’t forget, I  
was as much a tease as you were."  
"I started it though."  
"And I’m glad you did. Do that anytime. Well. Maybe not any time. But — you get the  
picture."  
She leaned into him. "I love you. And… I meant what I said."  
"What do you mean?"  
"What I whispered… into your ear…."  
"Lois," he said, his voice holding playful warning.  
"Not the right time… I know," she giggled. "We can’t walk into this party looking all..  
bothered… although for you, I guess it’d be far worse if you were in that suit."  
"Lois!"  
"Okay — okay — I’ll be good."  
He squeezed her hand. "Whatever you are — you are always that."  
"Really?"  
"Really… really… good."  
"Clark…"  
"Not the right time?"  
"We’re here. So — yeah. Not the right time!"  
He parked the car. And then, before she could do anything, he gently put his hands on  
the sides of her face, holding her there. He leaned in and gave her a slow, loving kiss that  
very gently lit embers and helped urge them to a strong conflagration. He drew apart and  
grinned at her, taking in her flushed face, her parted lips, the dazed look in her eyes.  
"Might as well go in looking like we’ve been up to something."  
Nervously, they stood in front of the door.  
"This is it," she said, her voice betraying her agitation.  
His hand found hers and held it, squeezing gently for reassurance.  
"We’re in this together."  
"I know…. I’m still scared."  
"I’m nervous too. But we can do this!"  
"I’m ringing the doorbell," she warned him.  
"Okay."  
No sooner had she rung it, when Alice had opened the door.  
Lois felt lost in a haze of doubt and worry and she hardly noticed what her hostess was  
saying as Alice warmly ushered them in. She felt a panic attack coming on — different  
from the ones related to her trauma, but alarming nonetheless. She heard buzzing in her  
ears and the light seemed overly harsh to her suddenly sensitive eyes. She felt as if she  
wasn’t getting enough air into her lungs.  
"Clark," she sub-vocalized, her voice the barest thread of a whimper.  
He responded by squeezing her hand again.  
It grounded her.  
<<I’m safe. It’s okay. I’m safe. I’m with him. I’m safe.>>  
The mantra repeated itself timelessly in her head as she forced her lungs to grab the air it  
needed. The room seemed to stop spinning and the lights became bearable.  
<<I can do this.>>  
"Oh… look! They’re holding hands! How sweet!"  
Lois looked over at the offending commenter, and smiled in relief. Lana Lang. A huge  
self-conscious grin plastered itself firmly on her face and refused to be dislodged.  
"Lana!" She let go of Clark’s hand and moved in to give her friend a warm hug and kiss on  
the cheek.  
All eyes were cast their way. Clark greeted his former fiancé in a similarly affectionate  
manner, and Lois felt her skin tingle as she knew that they were now the laser focus of  
attention.  
"It’s okay, Lois," murmured Lana. "They can all think whatever they want. They won’t say  
anything to our faces."  
She nodded nervously. "So… uh… where’s your …"  
Lana pulled a man close into her space. Blondish//Brownish hair, dark eyes, and an  
incredible smile, this man was a contender with Clark for a drop-dead gorgeous contest.  
Lois smiled back, immune to his beauty thanks to her fiancé – but appreciative none-the-  
less.  
"Rick… this is Lois Lane, and Clark Kent."  
He had a firm hand shake, a warm clasp, and Lois could feel his goodness emanating  
from the brief contact.  
<<Lana. You sure can pick them.>>  
"Great to meet you, Rick."  
"Likewise. I’ve heard quite a bit about you both."  
"Oh. Well — don’t believe half of it," said Lois.  
Miraculously, the world did not end, nor did the ground beneath her open up to swallow  
her. They conversed. Life went on. The dizziness threatening her finally receded as she  
was able to regulate her breathing and get the oxygen that she needed.  
She enjoyed herself. Rick and Lana were a fun couple to talk with, and she could well  
imagine that they would be friends going forward. Rick didn’t seem intimidated or awed  
by Clark nor did he seem resentful. It took a very strong sense of self not to feel  
threatened by a super-human former fiancé.  
She realized she hadn’t been holding up her end of the conversation.  
"So Rick — how did you and Lana meet?"  
It was the right question to ask — the engaged couple grinned at each other, and then  
Rick expertly told the story with a few laughing corrections from his fiancée.  
"Are you all set for your wedding," Clark asked.  
"Mostly — the things left to do are last minute and not that difficult."  
"Says you," grumbled Lana "I had to do most of the work. Lois, whatever you do — don’t  
let Clark get away with that. I don’t know how I let you get away with that, Rick."  
"You complained at me whenever I got in the way."  
"I think you deliberately made me complain by suggesting things that were awful and  
gauche."  
"I would never deliberately do that," he said, in mock offense. A gleam in his eyes told  
Lois the truth. She also recognized that this was an old familiar joke between the two of  
them.  
"Lois warned me that her mom was going to take things over."  
"Oh. Yikes. I wish you all the luck," winced Rick sympathetically. "So — have you two set a  
date?"  
"Well — not for public consumption or anything," said Lois quietly, "but we were  
thinking… oh… 2 days from now?"  
"Two days… but… hey! You promised you’d be at my wedding!"  
Lois grinned at Lana. "Sorry. I couldn’t resist it. Actually, we decided there’s not much  
point in waiting this out. We want to start our lives together… and … so — the sooner the  
better."  
"How soon?"  
"In… uh… in a month… if we can swing it," Lois stammered, flushing red, wondering if  
Rick and Lana were guessing at why they were in such a rush.  
Rick saw her reaction and bit back any teasing retort. He didn’t know her very well, but he  
felt like he had known the both of them from the moment he met them — as if they had  
always been friends.  
He had been really worried — terrified — of meeting Clark — Superman — the man who  
not only was his fiancée’s former intended, but also this larger than life god. How could  
any man ever hope to compete with that? And what would Clark be like? From what he’d  
seen of Superman in television interviews, he seemed remote, awe-inspiring… not this  
relaxed and friendly man standing here, talking about things that were far too mundane  
for gods. Clark wasn’t threatening in the slightest, and Lois was far more than he had ever  
expected..  
Where Lois was concerned, he hadn’t known what to expect. He had worried that he  
wouldn’t like her. He didn’t want to alienate people Lana liked, but at the same time, the  
woman had launched this hate campaign against Superman for no good reason, and then  
in the end, had gotten engaged to him. It made no sense. But being here, and seeing her,  
and remembering what he had read about her admission of having PTSD, he was able to  
step back and see her in a different light than he had originally painted her.  
But her reaction to his simple question caught him off guard. She seemed like a teenage  
girl almost. Blushing and nervous and uncomfortable under the question. Teasing would  
only make it worse.  
"Oh. Well — then it’s good your mom’s helping out," he said carefully. "She’ll know what  
to do to make it happen, right?"  
"I think so," grinned Lois. "That is, if she doesn’t scream at me for rushing into it."  
"Wow," said Lana, after being silent long moments after Lois’s revelation. "One month…"  
Lois looked at her, pleading evident in her eyes.  
"Clark, Rick — if you’ll excuse us… I want to have a moment of girl-talk with Lois."  
Barely hearing their responses, Lois allowed Lana to pull her unobtrusively away. Of  
course, it didn’t matter how unobtrusive Lana tried to be, people were still surreptitiously  
watching them.  
"Lois — a month? Is this your idea — or his?"  
Lois grinned in warm relief at her friend. Her champion, despite the fact that they should  
have been rivals.  
"Lana, can you even imagine Clark ever pushing me into getting married before I was  
ready?’  
"Are you ready?"  
"I… I don’t know. I don’t…" She looked down at Lana’s shoes a long moment and then  
returned to making eye contact. "I just don’t know."  
"Are you happy with this decision?"  
"Yes." Her voice and manner were emphatic. "You know… I hate being apart from him. I  
just want us to live in the same space. I want to see him when I wake up. I want to see him  
right before falling asleep. I want to be with him — to enjoy his company — to — I want to  
make love with him…. I want those things — the things that marriage can … legitimately  
give us — at least in the eyes of the world. No matter how I may feel about things… I  
know that — it’s important for Superman’s image to remain a certain way — and I don’t  
want to compromise that."  
Lana nodded. "I get that. I just… I just wanted you to tell me that this was something you  
were happy with."  
"Lana, you didn’t really think Clark was pushing me?"  
"I thought Lois Lane was pushing you. She’s done it before. But I can see — just by talking  
to you, that you really… wow… you’ve really come so far."  
Lois flushed. "I didn’t… I — I actually… I did something kind of… crazy. And I kind of want  
to tell you about it…"  
"What?"  
"I sort of … pushed Clark — into — doing some kind of roll-your- own aversion therapy  
with me."  
"In what way?"  
"I… I pressured him to… role-play — as Lord Kal-El."  
"Oh my god."  
"I asked him to wear black… I didn’t like the idea that his wearing black was such a  
trigger…"  
"I get that. And that’s — that’s a good thing to do — to overcome that… and he does look  
really good in black," she said with a smile.  
"Oh, does he ever. He has this black robe that I’m’ dying to see him in — but.. uh… not on  
our wedding night… I think I need us to  
have crossed that particular threshold before doing anything that radical."  
"But radical is what you did … I mean — you said you asked him to role-play — did it go  
beyond wearing black?"  
She flushed and looked down.  
"Uh… Lois… just… just how far… did you take this?"  
"Not… not as far as you’re worrying — I just… I asked him to try to… kind of… act like  
Lord Kal-El."  
"I can’t even imagine him being successful at that," she said, her brow furrowed as she  
shook her head.  
"He… he wasn’t. So… I kind of… forced an image of Kal-El into his mind… to give him  
inspiration. And… that kind of did the trick. He was able to recreate… Kal-El’s body  
language… my god… Lana.. . it was as if Kal-El were right there, standing in front of me…  
it was very disturbing."  
"Lois — I…. I don’t know what to say — I mean – I know you want to purge the bad  
feelings, but you really put your relationship with him at risk. Do you realize that you  
could have put an immovable obstacle between you both? You could have pushed yourself  
further into trauma — by seeing Clark as Kal-El — you could have lost the ability to see  
him as Clark."  
"I know," she said softly. "I know. I am lucky — it didn’t get that far. I… I tried to take  
his… hand and put it on my throat — the way Kal-El would grip my throat when he  
wanted to really drive home the point that he could kill me at any time — and Clark  
reacted badly. He was very upset. Very agitated. Very Clark. I could have lost him that way  
too — by pushing him into doing this thing that he really didn’t want to do. By not caring  
about what he wanted. And… I’m lucky — because we moved past that."  
"He loves you," she said gently. "There isn’t much he wouldn’t do for you. And that  
includes giving you a wide latitude when it comes to hurting him."  
"Well, I don’t want to hurt him. I really don’t. I love him — and… and I’ve promised him  
and myself that I’ll consider all the angles before ever doing something like that again."  
"You aren’t a villain in this piece, Lois. Your idea had some amount of merit. If he hadn’t  
been physically identical with your … tormentor… then this might have been a  
meritorious idea — but because he is… the danger is too great."  
She nodded. "I never want to see him looking like Lord Kal-El again."  
Lana smiled. "I don’t think you have to worry about him willingly doing that again."  
"Oh. Yuck. Ralph is talking to the men."  
"Let’s go rescue them."  
They came back. Ralph saw them both, and made his excuses.  
"Is he for real," asked Rick. "Does he really mean what he says?"  
"Sadly… yes."  
"What did he say?"  
"Uh… you don’t want to know," said Rick uncomfortably.  
"Clark? Ice water, or other chicks?"  
Rick looked at Lois in shock. "Do you have super hearing too?" It was his first allusion to  
the fact that Clark was Superman.  
"Lois made a bet with me that Ralph would make one of two comments… and Lois… I’m  
sorry to say that you won the bet."  
"Which comment did he make?"  
"He was two for two."  
Lois burst out laughing at that. Clark seemed to be amused as well. Rick was the only one  
who didn’t laugh.  
"The guy’s an absolute jerk. I mean — the way he talked about her –" He looked over at  
Clark, amazed that the man wasn’t angry. Amazed but also relieved.  
"Lois is a big girl," said Lana casually. "She can take care of herself. What would you do if  
someone said something nasty about me, Rick?"  
"You mean, what do I do when someone says something nasty about you…?"  
"Hey!"  
"And you’re right. I’d… I’d be mad… but you aren’t a child — you can take care of that  
stuff on your own."  
"So I take it you didn’t offer to beat him up for me, Clark?"  
"I just told him that he was crazy if he thought any of that. But if you want to beat him up,  
I won’t intervene…"  
"So, I won the bet…?"  
"What was your wager," Rick asked innocently.  
Lois looked over at Clark, and then she flushed red again. "Uh… nothing really."  
"Oh, you poor guy," said Rick with gentle sarcasm, looking over at Lois. "I hope you face  
up to your loss like a man."  
"Or a Superman," giggled Lana.  
"Lana," said Clark. "Keep that up, and I’ll start telling Rick stories of what you were like as  
a teenager."  
"Okay, okay," she said, lifting her hands up in mock surrender.  
"All right you guys, enough of the guest-of-honor monopolizing," said Cat, coming into  
their conversation. "Others want a chance."  
Lana smiled ruefully. "Darn. Okay Cat – we’ll go make ourselves friendly elsewhere – but  
don’t monopolize them too long – we were having fun."  
She linked her arm with Rick’s and they wandered away.  
Lois watched them leave with a tinge of regret and panic. Then, she turned back to face  
Cat.  
"How are you, Cat?"  
"I’m well. How are you? How are you handling all the attention?"  
Lois nodded. "Well… so far, so good."  
"Clark?"  
"What she said," he said, smiling.  
"I heard about .. what happened," she said quietly "Lois, you handled yourself very well.  
I’m impressed."  
"Thanks," she said, suddenly feeling awkward and embarrassed. "I couldn’t even believe it  
was happening."  
"It must have been really hard for you."  
"It was," she said, shuddering. "Hard for the poor guy I freaked out. And hard for Clark,  
who had no idea what to do."  
Cat smiled. "Have you guys read any write-ups of it yet?"  
"No. I know that’s ridiculous, given our profession, but -"  
"It’s weird to be the news… I know. Well… the gist of it is that you two make a very cute  
couple."  
She grimaced. "Cute?"  
"That’s just my paraphrasing. Clark, you were reported as being uncharacteristically  
reticent and off-center in a situation where normally people would have expected you to  
exude confidence and to take control of things. And people perceive that as Lois having  
gotten under your skin, that you can’t be anything but human when you’re around her."  
"He’s human all of the time, or human-like. Don’t people get that? I don’t get why people  
treat you so differently Clark – based on what you’re wearing."  
"Sure you do, Lois – if you dress to kill, you get far more attention than if you don’t," said  
Cat. "Clothes and demeanor and bearing — all of these affect how we see a person. Clark,  
I’m guessing that’s how you had hoped to keep this whole thing a secret – to keep your  
identities apart."  
"Yeah. Didn’t work though."  
"It would have. If Tempus hadn’t deliberately blown your cover. Nobody knew you were  
Clark until he told everyone. Do you wish it had worked?"  
"Off the record?"  
"Everything here is off the record. Perry’s mandate."  
"Then … sometimes. I sometimes wish it had worked. Now though, it’s not so bad. It was  
really … in the beginning… all that attention and fame. It was uncomfortable — and  
lonely. "  
"Scary too, I’ll bet. All kinds of weird people trying to get to know you."  
"Well…"  
"I know – you’re too nice to speak ill of people. But I saw what was going on."  
"Everything’s terrific now and I honestly think I have it easier than the other Clark," he said  
in a low voice. "Keeping this a secret means he has to lie a lot about where he is — and  
that has to be hard and uncomfortable. And he went through all this hell with Lois —  
afraid to tell her the truth, but then afraid not to."  
"Didn’t he trust her?"  
"He loved her and he wanted her to love him. She was in love with the part of him that  
flew and considered the rest of him ‘her best friend’."  
"Oh. Ouch."  
"So he thought if he could only manage to win over love — as an ordinary man – then it  
would be real. What he didn’t get was her love was real — no matter who she directed it  
towards. He thought that ‘Superman’ was just a disguise. But when he was Clark, he also  
was playing a role — disguising himself so nobody would put the two people together.  
The man he really is a combination of the two, and even he didn’t get that. He kind of set  
her up for failure — even though he didn’t mean to."  
"I can see that… did she guess, or did he tell her?"  
"She guessed… and as you can imagine, she was furious."  
"How long had he kept it a secret from her?"  
"Almost two years."  
"Two years?"  
"He even asked her to marry him — and he didn’t tell her first. He made a lot of mistakes  
in that respect, but he didn’t know what he was doing — I think a lot of his logic was just  
skewed by panic. He loved her and was terrified of losing her."  
She grinned. "Women have a way of forgiving that. If it’s love- induced panic — we forgive  
quite a bit."  
"She did. Although the last time we saw them, things weren’t going so well."  
"What happened?"  
"You know — I really just don’t know."  
Lois, Cat and Clark chatted a few more minutes and then Cat remarked on how she was  
now hogging the guests of honor, and she should leave the way open for others to come  
over and get to know them.  
Lois waited for Cat to get out of earshot, and then she turned to Clark.  
"Cute. We’re cute," she grumbled in mock disgust in a voice so low that only he could hear  
her.  
"So, what’s wrong with that?"  
His grin disarmed her and she had to fight to keep her concentration on what she was  
saying.  
"Cute!"  
"Well… you definitely are cute."  
"Cute?"  
"Uh… something wrong with cute," he asked with mock apprehension.  
She gestured dramatically. "Cute is for puppies. It’s so inconsequential — so…"  
"You really are the expert at transforming a compliment into an insult?"  
"What? I never have done that — not with you — I –"  
"Like now. I just called you an expert in something and you’re all riled up." He continued  
to smile broadly at her as he spoke, enjoying the conversation.  
"Oh. You just — you — listen. Cute is not something I have worked hard to be seen as."  
"Well. You’re cute when you’re disgruntled. Like now. Is that okay to say?"  
"Disgruntled? So what am I like when I’m angry?"  
"Glorious. Beautiful."  
"But I’m not beautiful now? When disgruntled?"  
"I didn’t say that!"  
"You implied it! But we’re digressing here. Back to this whole cute thing. What’s even  
worse is — they don’t even mean that we’re cute. They just mean you. I mean — half the  
women in here are in love with you."  
"Come on. That’s ridiculous."  
"Ooooo," she said with gentle mockery. "You might want to say it like you really believe it  
next time."  
"Okay, Okay," he admitted begrudgingly. "I admit some of them might be a bit star…  
struck — because of the whole celebrity aspect of who I am –"  
"Before they knew about you — before you even started overtly playing the hero — they  
were probably in love with you. You have a very beautiful face and a warm personality."  
"Likewise, Lois. "  
"Women can’t help themselves… at least, the ones interested in men."  
"You don’t seem to lack your share of admirers. I mean, creepy as he is — Lex has been  
on the eligible bachelor list a lot longer than…"  
"Than…?"  
"Uh… me…" he trailed off sheepishly, aware he had just proved her point.  
"It’s different. With you — they’re like groupies."  
He winced. "Good word for it."  
"Women everywhere just throwing themselves in your path the first time they lay eyes on  
you… except of course one bitter woman suffering from post traumatic stress disorder."  
"Oh, Lois," he said, his voice becoming gentler.  
"Don’t worry — don’t worry. All is well — no panic attacks around the corner."  
"I don’t care if any of these women find me attractive or not. I just care what you think."  
"Excuse me…"  
Lois uttered a silent count to ten upon hearing the tentative and slightly breathless female  
voice.  
<<Oh good. Another Superman groupie.>>  
Inwardly steeling herself up for the challenge, she pasted a friendly smile on her face and  
gave the woman her full attention.  
"Hi," she said, almost in unison with Clark.  
"I… I just wanted to say — um… congratulations!"  
"Thanks," said Clark, with a smile.  
Lois smiled as well, to hide the pain.  
<<No! Don’t smile at her. She’ll never leave now. God. Look at her expression. All starry-  
eyed. Yuck! Little miss waif here. Can’t be more than 21.>>  
The star struck gaze moved from Clark and rested on Lois.  
<<Okay. Here it comes.>>  
She waited for the awe to fade into cool tolerance or bland friendliness. It didn’t. The girl  
remained star struck.  
"I’m … I’m Linda," the young woman faltered. "I — just… my god, Miss. Lane — you are  
my — my role model! I want to be … a journalist — like you — you’ve covered such  
unique ground, and broke through so many glass ceilings, and — I’m — I’m in college…  
I’m — Alice’s nephew Roger’s girlfriend… and I — I just — I’ve read just about everything  
you’ve published… your words — they resonate with such truth and intensity — and —  
you just — you’re so persuasive — and… uh… uh…. Well…." her gaze traveled to Clark  
briefly and then, almost panicking, back to Lois. "Um… um… I didn’t mean that I — I —  
was persuaded by — by your articles- about… um… you…." She addressed Clark  
momentarily. "I — I knew that — that she was wrong…. But — but — not that you aren’t —  
compelling in your arguments — it’s just –oh god — we aren’t supposed to even be  
talking about this –"  
<<We aren’t talking. You are. Non stop. And oh boy. I better stop her before she  
explodes.>>  
"I’m not one to encourage censorship," said Lois with a more genuine grin, this one  
covering up a very strong desire to start laughing. "It’s okay. And thank you. I’m very  
flattered."  
"Oh! Oh – well — uh — you’re — you’re welcome!"  
Linda stayed around a few more minutes, and it was the most awkward conversation Lois  
had ever had. She was relieved when the girl finally moved away.  
The rest of the evening went well. Ralph stayed out of Lois’s way, and everyone else was  
friendly and polite. Nobody asked the hard questions. Not surprising, really. This was a  
party thrown by Perry, a widely respected — and feared — man. Nobody in their right  
mind would try to upset Lois Lane under his roof.  
Lois also thought wistfully that maybe people really meant it when they wished them well.  
At least as far as Clark was concerned. Maybe someday some of what he had would rub  
off on her.  
On the drive home, she was reflective and quiet.  
"Are you okay?" he asked her after the quiet had gone on too long for his comfort level.  
"Yeah."  
"Did you have fun?"  
"Yes. I really did. I especially enjoyed meeting Rick."  
"I could see that," he teased.  
She looked over at him, suddenly worried. Had Clark noticed that she had admired Rick’s  
looks? She had only stared for a short moment, and she was pretty sure she hadn’t  
reacted with an increased heart-rate or respiration — or any of the other signs showing  
physical attraction.  
"Uh — I mean — he’s… he’s okay — but…"  
Clark gripped her hand very gently. "Sorry about that … I really was just kidding."  
"No… no… it’s… me… my baggage. Uh… Lord Kal-El was very jealous. He used to…" She  
trailed off, as bad memories flickered in her mind.  
Clark was quiet. He regretted having hurt her by making her think of Kal-El, but he  
wouldn’t interrupt her now — not if she needed to unburden.  
Her silence dragged out again, and once again he felt compelled to break it. He waited  
until he had stopped the car at a traffic light.  
"Lois?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Did — ah — did you want to talk about it?"  
"About –"  
"There? Then?"  
She turned and saw his handsome face looking at her with worry.  
She smiled lovingly at him.  
"You would, wouldn’t you? Listen to it — hear the horror. I can talk to you about that,  
can’t I?"  
"You can talk to me about anything and everything."  
"I know."  
"So did you?"  
"Maybe. I just don’t know. And… not in the car like this…"  
"Okay. I’m here — whenever — if ever- you need to talk about this stuff."  
"Thanks," she grinned, squeezing his hand.  
Lana and Rick were also driving home, and Lana noted her fiancé was unusually silent.  
"Penny for your thoughts?"  
"They’re worth far more than that!" "Two pennies?"  
"Wise-gal."  
"Serious, bud. Are you okay?"  
"Yeah. Yeah — why?"  
"You’re quiet-guy all of a sudden. And I was wondering if it had to do with meeting my  
ex."  
"Your ex. Such a benign way to put it. I mean — the guy is like a god. Your ex. Hard to live  
up to a god."  
"Been through this…"  
"I know."  
"Still have doubts?"  
His mouth twisted in slight distaste at the way he still felt.  
"Sometimes. Late at night. Not about you — never ever that. But that… he’s a tough act to  
follow I’ll bet."  
"Rick — he’s not the one for me. You are."  
"I — I mostly know that. Insecurities occasionally erupt."  
"Did you like him?"  
"Tremendously. Her too."  
"Hmmm. Not too tremendously with her okay? I mean — come on –"  
He grinned broadly. "Definitely no worries."  
"Was he as expected?"  
"No."  
"More than that."  
"Okay. See… I was really worried about meeting him. Expected him to be… deeper voiced,  
taller-standing — towering in fact… stern… scary… overwhelming — threatening to drop  
me off the highest mountain if I hurt you — that kind of thing. Bruising grip…"  
"He managed to live this long without crushing anyone’s hand while shaking it."  
"I was worried he might go all alpha male and try to put me in my place."  
"Did you really think he’d do that?"  
"I don’t know. I mean — I remember reading about what his clone did, and thinking at the  
time that wow…maybe ‘Superman’ wasn’t who we thought he was… I mean, I know it  
really wasn’t even him doing all that, but at the same time the impression kind of stuck. I  
got to thinking — just how much does he think of us as equals — how much does he …  
can he be trusted?"  
"Like Lois’s old series?"  
"Well — she did raise some salient points."  
"How do you feel now?"  
"He’s a great guy. Very much down to earth, and you know — that guy Ralph was really  
offensive, but Clark just kind of stayed pretty even keel. In fact, at one point, I felt the  
biggest danger was that Clark would start laughing… after hearing about the bet, I can  
see why. At the time, I was surprised he could hear that garbage about the woman he  
loved without at the very least getting indignant — what with his being such the  
chivalrous hero."  
"One of Clark’s strengths is to not let anger be his master. He’s always had to hold back  
— for fear of ever losing control — and then it became second nature."  
"That has to be hard."  
"Yeah. I didn’t make it much easier. I tried so hard to make him feel like he was … not  
good enough. Not because I wanted to hurt him — but because I wanted to make him  
fearful of exposing his powers — I feared what that would do to us, and to me. I guess on  
some level, I knew if he did — then I’d lose him."  
"Lana — that’s so sad."  
"I’m just glad I didn’t get to wreck his life."  
"He seems to be attracted to women who seem to be wrecking his life."  
She grinned. "Yeah — Lois gave it the old college try."  
"What happened to her?"  
"I can’t really say."  
"I know. I know. But — was it … plausible that whatever she endured would make her  
react to him in that way?"  
"Oh. Very much so."  
"Wow. She must have endured something awful."  
"She did. What Lois endured would have driven other women insane. She’s a very strong  
and brave person. She’s also honorable. She didn’t launch her attack on Clark in order to  
build up her career or gain his attention or any of the other crummy things that people  
will accuse her of … she was reeling with the pain and horror of what she has suffered  
and it altered her point of view."  
"I’m … sorry for her. But glad she was able to heal. You played a part in that."  
"Just a sounding board."  
"That can be everything."  
"Still. I think Lois and Clark were meant to be."  
"And Lana and Rick?"  
"Also meant to be."  
"Sorry for being so stupid about Clark."  
"You weren’t. Nobody would have sensed your worries and you seemed to get along with  
him great. No alpha male behavior on your part… no posturing — no challenging him to  
arm wrestle… just … enjoying his company. I hope you really liked him, because I really  
like them both, and in the end — having grown up with Clark in my life — he’s sort of like  
a brother."  
He nodded. "I like them too. I’m sure we’ll see a lot of them."  
Back at the Whites’ house, more people were talking about Lois and Clark.  
"So Perry – what do you think?"  
"You throw a mean party, Alice."  
"Do you think they had fun? Do you think they felt comfortable here?"  
"Yes, and yes."  
"I thought Lois would faint at first."  
"Coming here and facing everyone was very hard for her. I think she did well."  
"She did. She even bore up well under Linda’s hyper enthusiasm."  
"Better a Lois groupie than a Clark groupie."

"And there were plenty here tonight. I even heard some less than pleasant conversation  
about our favorite couple’s upcoming nuptials. Angry and spiteful stuff."  
"That’s inevitable. Did Lois hear any of it?"  
"No."  
"Good."  
"She will though — not here — but out there — and we can’t shelter her from it."  
"Lois lived three years being horribly abused. She can take care of herself."  
"I hate that she has to."  
"She has Clark now to help. And even if he can’t stop the nastiness — he is there to help  
her cope with it. She’ll be okay."  
"Yeah. I think she will. Did you hear that they are planning on getting married within the  
month?"  
"Who told you that?"  
"Lois."  
"Wow."  
"Not for public consumption."  
"No. I can see why."  
"Remember that eager impatience?"  
"Yeah," he said distractedly.  
"What’s wrong?"  
"A month… I mean — we don’t really know… but still –seems so soon — I hope she can…  
handle that."  
"Perry. You old softie."  
"What?"  
"Worrying about her well being?"  
"Well. Yeah."  
"I’m confident that Clark would never agree to marry her so soon if he felt it would be  
hurtful to her."  
"Maybe I should have a talk with him."  
"Perry, you’ll do no such thing. Those two are grown-ups. They don’t need that, nor  
would they want it. They love each other, and neither one of them would act in a way that  
was in any way hurtful to the other. You don’t need to have that talk with him. He knows."  
"Yeah. I guess. I just hope you’re right."  
Lois and Clark stood in the darkened street near her apartment.  
"Can you get us up to my place aerially?"  
"Neighbor avoidance?"  
"Heck yeah."  
"Sure thing."  
He moved over to her and put his arm around her waist. Their intimacy had all but cured  
her of any apprehension towards flying with him, and the rapid beating of her heart was  
due mostly to how he made he feel when he was touching her like this.  
"Ready?"  
The slight roughness to his voice told her he felt the same way.  
"Like this? You aren’t going to change?"  
"I don’t need to. It’s just up there."  
"Okay."  
He caught a note of disappointment in her voice and was surprised. "Did you want me to?"  
"Well. Seeing you in that outfit is pretty sexy. The way it really… showcases your… um…  
assets."  
"Oh. Well — if you put it that way," he said backing away from her a few steps. Moments  
later, Superman stood in front of her. He eyed her carefully and warily to see if his  
switchover was upsetting her in any way. "This okay?"  
"Yeah," she said, a dreamy quality to her voice as she really took the time to appreciate  
how magnificent he looked like that.  
<<The conquering hero. But more the hero than the conqueror. Except of course where  
my heart is concerned.>>  
"You sure?"  
"Yes! Take me home, Clark!"  
He grinned at her. He loved that she called him Clark when he was like this. He stepped  
into her space again and wrapped a careful arm around her waist, this time more aware  
that she might possibly have a panic attack. Tightening his hold as gently as he could, he  
lifted off. She rewarded his efforts by leaning into him, letting him know without words  
that she was enjoying herself.  
Within seconds they were on her balcony. He released her reluctantly and looked into her  
eyes lovingly.  
"I should go so you can get some sleep."  
"No… please. Please come in — just a little while longer… please… pretty please? Just for  
coffee?"  
"Lois — aren’t you tired? You were yawning in the car."  
"Yes. I am — but I don’t want this evening to end yet. Please?"  
"I can’t say no to you!"  
"Good! I hope that continues to be a problem. Come on," she said, tugging on his hand,  
knowing that he would come where she beckoned.  
"Wait — let me just change…"  
"No… please — stay like this?"  
"I –"  
"I know — you’re more comfortable in your street clothes. Humor me a bit though?"  
"Uh… sure. Lois. Whatever you want."  
"Do you want some coffee?"  
"No. I had enough at Perry’s."  
"Good. I was just being polite about the coffee anyway."  
"Oh, you were, were you?"  
"Yeah," she said, as she stepped close to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
"This is really what I had in mind," she whispered as she pulled him down to meet her in a  
kiss.  
"Come on," she said, tugging him towards the sofa.  
He followed her there willingly. But before she could sit down and pull him down with her  
he pulled gently on her hand so she would turn and face him.  
"What’s wrong," she asked, knowing full well what was troubling him.  
"Why?"  
"Why… why what?"  
"This. The suit… I know that sometimes seeing me like this is a trigger because I look  
more Kryptonian," he said, wincing on the word.  
"You are a Kryptonian. Earth clothes don’t change that," she said intensely. "And I love  
you. This Earth woman loves this Kryptonian man."  
"Wow," he breathed out. "That… is spectacular."  
"I know."  
"Still… I — I feel kind of awkward here like this — and I can’t help worrying that I’ll remind  
you of him… dressed like this…"  
"Can we sit? I’m tired and I need to give my legs a break."  
"Sure," he agreed instantly.  
She dropped down to the couch, as did he. She spent long moments staring at their  
hands, still intertwined. After a beat, she looked up at him earnestly.  
"Clark… sometimes you do remind me of him — more times than I ever let on. Sometimes  
I get a little nervous — and then it’s gone. It’ll be something you say, or how you’ll  
stand… or move… or an inflection in your voice, or anything… an expression on your face  
— and then — it’s gone, and I don’t see it anymore… it’s okay — it’s normal, and it really  
isn’t stopping me from wanting to be with you — in any sense of the word. You are Clark.  
You are also Kal-El. No – don’t flinch like that. Don’t look away — don’t run from the truth  
and don’t feel guilty. Kal-El is not my enemy. Lord Kal-El — a different story… I’m sure  
right now there are an infinite number of Lord Kal-Els who I might like. And whatever.  
Who cares? I love you, no matter what you call yourself or what you wear. When it comes  
right down to it… this Earth woman wants very much to make out with this Kryptonian  
man. Now."  
He was silent for a while. And then he lifted his free hand to gently stroke her face. Her  
expression was open and trusting and she didn’t even hint at flinching from a gesture  
that very well could have been a precursor to a harsh blow.  
"This Kryptonian man loves this Earth woman," he said, his voice deeper now with  
emotion. "And also would like to make out with her… with you… even if it means wearing  
this crazy getup."  
She had been transfixed by what he said. His reference to himself in that fashion touched  
her deeply.  
"Then this Earth woman can’t help but wonder… what the heck is stopping you."  
He smiled at her, a gleam growing in his eyes — of desire, love — intent… and he leaned  
down into her space and claimed her lips in a kiss that threatened to knock her socks  
off… if she was wearing socks, which she wasn’t.  
After a few long moments of this most incredible kiss, they broke apart.  
"Besides," she threw in huskily. "Crazy… yeah, but definitely sexy. I’m right now actively  
living the fantasy of countless women…"  
"Oh come on," he said with a smile.  
"You can just hear them imagining it in their minds… their fingertips trailing along your  
taut spandex covered muscles… your eyes burning with a fierce yet heroic intensity. Your  
touch so gentle belying the true power that lies latent within you which you can unleash  
with deadly force against an asteroid, or control to hold a woman passionately in your –"  
she squealed as he gripped her arms and pulled her unceremoniously close to him,  
covering her lips with his, and she gasped out the final word… "arms!"  
He kissed her hard, but there was also such love and tenderness, and playful joy. She  
sighed deeply in her throat as she let her hands play against his chest. She started to  
giggle, and he let her go.  
"Lois," he said with playful warning.  
"Being naughty, I know," she said with a sparkle in her eyes. "But I couldn’t help but think  
how taut your muscles were under this thing."  
He leaned in again, kissing her again, unable to resist this side of her. His arms snaked  
around her waist and pulled her close in against him. She surprised him by leaning back,  
and pulling him back and down so he was half covering her. Enjoying the increased  
contact with her bewitching body, he didn’t argue — he kept kissing her, running a gentle  
hand up and down the side of her body — trying to urge her on to higher need without  
going too far and making her nervous.  
She made a rumbling sound of pleasure in her throat, telling him all he needed to know.  
The phone rang.  
Clark stopped kissing her, and eased off a bit.  
"Clark, whoever it is can wait."  
"But –"  
"You ignored your phone call the other day. The machine will take it. Come on… where  
were we?" She smiled at him so invitingly that he forgot completely about the phone call.  
Before he could react, Lois’s mother’s voice was heard leaving a message on the machine.  
"Oh god," she groaned.  
"You want to take that?"  
"No.. No, but I should. It’s probably important. Usually she’s in bed by now. She probably  
has been waiting for me to get home so she can tell me something important. I’d better  
talk to her."  
"And I’d better leave."  
"No, No — Clark — please don’t feel like –"  
"You look really tired, Lois." He leaned forward and kissed her again. "This has been great.  
Really great. And I don’t want it to end either… but your mom is working hard on making  
it possible  
for us to put an end to these end-of-the-day separations."  
"Okay. You’re right… you’re right… I… I won’t see you until Lana’s wedding day, really.  
Mom and I are getting together to get a lot of this wedding stuff done. Are you sure you  
don’t want to join us?"  
"Do you want me to?"  
She laughed aloud at the undisguised look of trepidation in his eyes.  
"What if I say yes?"  
"Then I’ll be here."  
"Clark — It’s okay. My mom’s been ready to do this kind of thing since the doctor told her  
it was a girl. I know she wants this to be women only — and… that’s okay, I guess, even if  
I do think that men should have as much to do with this kind of thing as the women."  
"But anything to please your mom, right?"  
"That’s right — so you got off lucky this time. But don’t get too comfortable — your time  
will come. I’m sure we’ll have need of you soon enough."  
"You know, I don’t mind — and if it were just us doing this — but… you know — I guess I  
still kind of find your parents a little scary."  
"Why?"  
"Because — they are your parents. And above all else, they want you to be happy. And  
there’s always that hidden implication that should you fail to be happy… well…"  
"Dad will go out and start melting Kryptonite bullets to put in his shot gun? Don’t worry.  
I’ll keep you safe, just like I did the last time."  
He grinned at her.  
"I’m counting on it."  
"Give me a kiss before you leave. Like you mean it!"  
Lois endured the separation from Clark with grim impatience. She endured the presence  
of a loving mother intent on planning for her daughter the most beautiful wedding  
imaginable. And although Lois loved her mother and appreciated her efforts, and knew  
that they would be lost in this venture without her, all she could do was think about Clark  
and how much she longed to be with him.  
And then finally… Lois and Clark were together, enjoying themselves in the aftermath of  
Lana’s wedding. The wedding had been beautiful and gloriously private. If anyone had  
thought it strange that Lana had invited her former fiancé, nobody said anything about it  
— or even indicated surprise in any other way.  
Lana’s guests were of the discreet ilk, and for that, Lois and Clark were keenly grateful.  
And now together, on the dance floor, they lost track of everything else but each other.  
Lois leaned in close to her soul-mate, savoring the feel of his large and strong body  
against hers.  
<<So right. This is so right.>>  
She loved this song. The first time she heard it, she had broken down crying at how it so  
accurately reflected how she saw herself. How she saw them. And she had downloaded it  
and then played it over and over and over again, bringing herself to a heightened state of  
emotional response every time she heard it.  
<<You see everything, you see every part You see all my light and you love my dark You  
dig everything of which I’m ashamed There’s not anything to which you can’t relate And  
you’re still here >>  
That was so him. He saw her — saw all of her, in a way that no one ever had. Not her  
parents. Not her sister, and not Lord Kal- El. Just saw her for what she really was —  
without the use of any kind of super powers. He knew her. Knew her so completely. And  
he still was here — in her life, hers… a part of her. Forever. And she didn’t know what  
gods she should propitiate and offer up thanks for this incredible celestial gift. So  
instead… she cried, unable to hold back the emotion.  
He felt her response, and tightened his arm, bringing her even closer. Comforting as  
usual. He didn’t ask, and he didn’t misunderstand. Didn’t assume she was scared, just  
brought her into his heat, closer, comforted, cherished.  
<<I’m terrified and mistrusting And you’ve never met anyone as, As closed down as I am  
sometimes.>>  
Had the author of this song actually looked into her soul when she wrote these words? For  
so long, she had reacted to him with fear and hate. She had mounted a hate-campaign  
again, making his coveted assimilation into the ranks of humanity a laughably out- of-  
reach prize. She had stirred up the ranks of Superman- detractors. She had taken the  
somewhat comfortable existence he had, after so many long months, finally carved out  
for himself, and … she turned it inside out, upending him onto the floor, out into the  
cold. She did that without blinking. At one time, she had even contemplated working with  
the government agent who had seemed so slightly off his rocker… she had contemplated  
it, because it didn’t matter to her if Clark was innocent. He could hurt them, and  
therefore, he should be contained. Should even… be killed? Could she have killed him? If  
she had access to that kryptonite poison she had given to the clone? Could she have done  
that? Snuck it in his coffee?  
<<You see everything, you see every part You see all my light and you love my dark You  
dig everything of which I’m ashamed There’s not anything to which you can’t relate And  
you’re still here >>  
And that said it all. He loved all of her, even that part of her that was so dark and lost.  
That part of her that let her kill the clone, that might even have let her kill him. That let  
her endure even a second of being in Lex Luthor’s company, because she had a far bigger  
fish to fry.  
<<What I resist, persists, and speaks louder than I know What I resist, you love, no matter  
how low or high I go >>  
This unconditional love that he gave her, oh, it was so intoxicating.  
<<I’m the funniest woman you’ve ever known. I am the dullest woman you’ve ever  
known. I’m the most gorgeous woman you’ve ever known And you’ve never met anyone  
as, as everything as I am sometimes.  
You see everything, you see every part You see all my light and you love my dark You dig  
everything of which I’m ashamed There’s not anything to which you can’t relate And  
you’re still here  
And you’re still here And you’re still here…>>  
The music came to an end, and she found herself stricken by the emotion, unable to let  
him go, unable to act casual, like nothing had happened. Unable to care that they were in  
a roomful of people, that this was somebody else’s special moment, that she could wreck  
it all, if she didn’t get herself back where she belonged. Under control.  
But as the song said, there’s not anything to which he couldn’t relate. He did dig this part  
of her that she was ashamed of. He loved her, and he welcomed anything she cared to be.  
Including a scene-causing emotional wreck.  
She backed away slightly, and looked up at him, her love shining so brightly through her  
wet eyes. She stared at him a long while like that, and he looked back at her,  
understanding, loving, awed and humbled by her… and she knew it, she could sense it.  
She could feel it.  
"I love you," she said, not caring who heard.  
"I love you too," he answered, as she knew he would.  
Wedding planning was driving Lois nuts. Truth be told – her mother was driving her nuts.  
To make matters worse, Clark had been really busy with rescue duty and she hadn’t been  
seeing much of him. In the absence of his presence her doubts and worries about the  
upcoming big event were taking control of her mind, resulting in restless sleep and an  
ongoing case of wedding-jitters.  
She needed to talk to him — to look at him, and be with him. She needed to remember  
that he was who he was, and she needed to feel once again that glorious ‘rightness’ of  
being with him. She picked up the phone and dialed his home. When his answering  
machine picked up she switched off impatiently and quickly dialed his cell phone number.  
His voice mail picked up.  
She growled in frustration and then left him a message. "Clark… where the heck are you? I  
really need to see you!"  
She hung up the phone and then decided she would vent some of her frustration by  
taking a shower.  
<<Lavender bath salts… here I come.>>  
30 minutes later, she emerged from the shower, and put on a short cotton nightdress.  
She was happier and more relaxed, the lavender had worked its usual magic. She exited  
the bathroom, walking at a fast clip and then collided right into someone. Immediately,  
adrenaline surged through her system, panic flaring even as she heard Clark’s familiar  
tones and felt his gentle grip on her arms steadying her.  
"Sorry," he was saying. "I … didn’t mean to – " his voice trailed off as he became suddenly  
very aware of her insanely  
enticing scent.  
<<What did she just put on in there? It’s incredible. So smooth — and – is it Lavender?>>  
"Scare the heck out of me," she gasped out trying to regain her ground. She was still  
breathing hard, trying to get her panic under control.  
<<No. No – no panic attack. Please. No panic attack.>>  
Her heightened sense of danger from first mistaking him for an intruder merged with a  
panic-based response to the current situation. Flotsam from her troubled past floated to  
the surface. The current situation of being so insignificantly dressed in contrast with his  
Superman garb was making it hard for her to settle her nerves.  
She forced herself to look up at him. There simply was no way was she going to tell him  
about her current distress.  
Clark was still oblivious to anything but the sexual haze she was unconsciously weaving  
around him.  
"Uh… yeah," he said in response to her question. "Sorry. I got home, got your message –  
and couldn’t reach you so I figured I’d just fly over. I… Lois – what is this on your skin?"  
He didn’t notice that she was still laboring to get herself under control, assuming that any  
of her current agitation was left-over from being caught off guard.  
Instead, he was very aware that his hands were holding impossibly soft and smooth  
shoulders that glistened with an incredibly wonderfully smelling concoction. Her skin  
gleamed, and felt smoother than was even possible. He was transfixed and distracted.  
"I… what?"  
"This," he said huskily, rubbing one hand gently up and down her arm. "It’s amazing. It …  
you… it’s like… what is it? Lavender?"  
A harsh memory intruded into her brain. The first time she had been forced to endure  
Lord Kal-El, she had been forcibly ‘prepared’ by his attendants for the encounter. She had  
been made to suffer quite a few indignities, one of them being compelled to wear a  
garment that proclaimed loud and clear what her purpose in life was to be. Furthermore,  
they had used a wide variety of scented body oils to ensure she was pleasing.  
Clark’s reaction to her skin was ringing all kinds of uncomfortable and familiar bells. Lord  
Kal-El had also expressed his approval of the way she had been ‘readied’ by running a  
deceptively gentle hand up and down her arm.  
Fear gripped her hard, and she became very quiet and still as she focused on breaking  
free of the miserable spell the past had cast upon her.  
<<No… no — not now. The wedding is two weeks away — if I still act like this — how will  
we ever — >>  
"Lois?"  
His gentle voice intruded on her dark reminisces but didn’t quite dispel them.  
"I… I… "  
Her fear suddenly became evident to him. Immediately he released her and backed away a  
few steps.  
"I’m sorry. I really scared you, didn’t I? Coming in like this, and you didn’t know I was  
here… and then… I triggered something, didn’t I?" Clark was at a loss about what to do,  
but he kept talking in hopes of reminding her who he was.  
She looked up at him. "I’m sorry," she whispered. "Yeah. That’s kind of what … happened.  
It’s – obviously – not your fault… it’s just… " She shook her head, squeezing her eyes  
tight.  
"Do you want me to leave?"  
"No!"  
"Okay… how about I change?"  
"That… might… help…"  
As soon as she gave approval to that plan, he did a quick change, and then he stayed  
where he was, not wanting to encroach on her.  
"I’m okay, Clark… I… I just need – all that … tension… has to leave me… it takes a few  
moments."  
"No problem," he said quietly.  
"I… I…. lavender… how did you know?" Lois grasped onto this seeming triviality in a  
desperate bid to gain control of her nerves.  
"I – grew up in the hicks, remember? Wild lavender… grew everywhere."  
"Oh. Yeah. Farm boy. How could I forget!"  
<<Farm boy is way better than cruel dictator. I’ll take that any day.>>  
"Sorry…" he said again… redundantly and feeling foolish.  
"No. I… it is lavender. Lavender bath salts. I… love them. They make me feel really happy  
and … pampered, I guess."  
He grinned. "You deserve that."  
She smiled. Tension had eased from her, and she felt nearly normal. "You like?"  
"Well… uh… "  
"It’s really okay to say yes. I’m better now."  
"Then… yeah. I do."  
She smiled. But the smile didn’t reach her eyes in exactly the right way.  
"What is it?"  
"What?"  
"You’re still… it’s still not right. What’s wrong?"  
"God, Clark -do you have to be so observant."  
"Lois. I can’t help that. You’re pretty observant yourself. I guess – if you want me to  
pretend I don’t feel like something’s wrong, I could oblige, but… I do feel like  
something’s wrong, and – if you do want to talk about it. I’m here."  
She looked at him solemnly a few long minutes.  
"Okay. Okay." Her voice was quiet and resolute. "I’ll talk about it. Want some coffee? Or  
wine? For this… I’d suggest wine. "  
"Wine is great, Lois. Want me to get it?"  
"Sure," she assented. She knew he wanted to do it, to be helpful.  
He went to the wine bar and took a few moments to choose the wine. Her reaction to him  
had unsettled him deeply, and he was feeling very nervous about the upcoming  
conversation. He felt ashamed of his reticence, knowing full well that he had to be there  
for her at all costs.  
He grabbed his selection, along with the wine glasses and the corkscrew — and then he  
headed for the living room.  
Lois was sitting on her big couch waiting for him to join her. She was still dressed in her  
short night dress- and even though it wasn’t excessively seductive in intent, she  
presented an amazing picture in sensuality. Her skin still shone and the scent of lavender  
wafted from her skin enticingly — mixing in with her own unique scent.  
<<Focus, Clark. Don’t even go there. Not now. >>  
His libido studiously ignored him, and it was with a great force of will that he dropped  
down in a different chair and kept his demeanor as non-threatening as possible.  
<<Nope. No overly turned-on Kryptonian here. Just one very harmless guy.>>  
"I don’t bite," she said in a soft voice. "Please sit next to me. I need… you… your love-  
your support."  
"Ok," he said carefully as he got up and moved in next to her. Unlike the last time this  
tableau had played out, he sat close next to her. She reached over and held his hand  
gratefully.  
"Thanks," she said.  
"I love being with you like this."  
"Going to pour me a glass?"  
Glad to have the distraction, he quickly and easily liberated the cork from the bottle and  
poured the wine.  
She took her glass and then settled into the couch, bringing her legs up next to her as if  
huddling in for safety and warmth.  
"Are you cold," he asked worriedly.  
"No," she said. "I’m fine. Just…nervous."  
He waited in silence.  
"I… I guess I wanted to talk about some of it — I know I have done in the past… let stuff  
out… and… it’s scary — letting go of it — letting it out, letting it pass through me. It’s  
like a poison, and I’m afraid it’ll leave toxins in me if I … release it."  
"I don’t want you to feel like you have to talk about it — not if you don’t want to."  
"I don’t — in fact…" She looked at him with a quick knowing smile. "I know that you —  
you’re probably pretty worried yourself. And… I’m sorry," she said softly. "For giving you  
my poison."  
He shook his head. "It’s what we do for each other. Right?"  
"Yeah…"  
"Then there’s no need for you to feel badly about it."  
"Okay," she said. "I won’t."  
She paused a long time, and then took a few sips of her wine. Unfolding a bit, she settled  
in against him, and he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. Her vulnerability  
and trust made it easy for him to gain control of his desire for her at this moment.  
"Lord Kal-El liked his slaves to be well adorned… well… not so much with clothing… what  
we wore wasn’t much — but it was… sexy. Intended to… attract. But — when one of us  
was summoned to him — we were… made up… I guess… and… he really liked that. That  
thing you did — with your hand on my arm — it was almost exactly like what he did — on  
more than one occasion…"  
"Oh my god," he groaned. "I’m sorry!"  
"Clark. Please. It’s not like you would know! I mean — how would you know? It’s not  
rational to expect that of you… but… it freaked me out…"  
"Understandably!"  
"Still okay?"  
"To hell with me — how are you feeling?"  
"I’m scared, Clark," she confessed quietly. "Two weeks… just two weeks… at the time — I  
seemed so sure of … everything. But… he’s been in my dreams… nightmares… a lot."  
He gently tightened his arm around her for reassurance.  
"We can put this off," he said. "No harm in that."  
She gripped his hands and met his gaze directly.  
"I don’t want to do that."  
"Okay. Just letting you know it was an option — one that I wouldn’t be devastated about. I  
mean — yeah, I want this marriage to happen — but not if it’s upsetting you."  
She dropped her gaze. "I just… I really wanted it to be — perfect- and now I’m not so sure  
about — whether or not I’ll be able to… and… I guess… I just wanted to say that — to say  
it out loud to you — to… know if that was still okay? If… when all is said and done… I  
can’t… cross that particular… bridge… just yet?"  
He was silent a long moment, and she felt her heart squeeze in apprehension. What if he  
wants to call it off? He took her hands in his, and turned slightly to face her directly,  
wanting her full attention.  
"Lois. I promise that it’s okay. Are you worried I’ll want to back out — or are you worried I  
might," he paused, wincing, "… use physical force?"  
"No. Neither, really," she hastily assured him. "Well… at least when I’m awake," she  
confessed, her voice suddenly small. "My dreams sometimes have a different… scenario."  
"Are you still having nightmares about us?" He failed to keep the dismay from his voice.  
She flushed in embarrassment.  
"I… I did tell you it might happen. I can’t control my dreams," she said sadly. "I’m sorry.  
I’m — I know you aren’t that kind of a man. I just — I guess it’s my own … sense of  
impatience — which manifests itself as you in my dreams. That’s kind of what Lana said  
about that dream I had a while back."  
"I know," he said. "I just hate the idea of you waking up after something like that and  
having to shake it off."  
"Do you think we should wait? I mean — given that I’m such a mess."  
"Only if you want to."  
"I absolutely don’t want to wait."  
"Then we won’t."  
"There is one thing," she said uncomfortably. "Those nightmares that I have… I could  
react badly to you — if you were there when I woke up –"  
"Hey, listen — if you need your sleeping space –"  
"No, I liked sleeping with you — I really did — I just wanted to make sure you knew what  
you were getting into — I mean — in 20 years, I could have some awful dream and —  
react badly — so I just need to tell you so that you … know it’s a possibility."  
He nodded carefully. "Okay. Consider me fore-warned. I won’t let you down Lois — I’ll be  
able to handle it."  
"Oh Clark," she said — suddenly squeezing his hand in a wash of guilt. "I didn’t mean to  
make you feel like it was a question of letting me down — if you have trouble dealing with  
it if it happens, you won’t be letting me down — just don’t leave me on account of it —  
promise me no matter what — we’ll talk, and we’ll work things through."  
"That, I can promise without any reservations, Lois. I will never walk away from us."  
"Good. Me either."  
"Glad we got that straightened out," he grinned at her.  
"Yeah," she said, subsiding against him, relaxing into his warmth. Tingling sensations  
started pervading her limbs as she imagined them doing more than just cuddling.  
"Can I ask you something?"  
"Sure!"  
"Why did you call? Not that you have to have a reason, but you seemed kind of upset."  
"Oh. God. Yes. That. My mother. It’s not her fault, but all this wedding planning is driving  
me insane. And it’s a small wedding — not much really to do — and — we can’t agree on  
the dress at all — and — well — I just needed you… to be with you — to just — you know  
— unwind."  
"I’m sorry — is there anything I can do? Can I help with — I don’t know — anything?"  
"Hey — for someone who has super-powers and super-hearing… you didn’t do a very  
good job of hearing what I just said," she teased gently.  
"What do you mean?"  
"I said I wanted to be with you — to unwind… you know… unwind?" Her voice dropped a  
little indicating her shift into sultry. Her eyes gleamed with open invitation. "How do you  
propose you help me unwind?"  
He grinned back at her, drawing her close. "I think I have a few ideas," he murmured as he  
leaned in to kiss her.  
***  
Dearly beloved had gathered together to celebrate something momentous. Vows had been  
exchanged and love so evident had been affirmed. Two destinies had entwined  
themselves for a lifetime. For more than this lifetime, for all the lifetimes to come.  
Lois and Clark were married.  
Lois looked down at the ring on her finger that symbolized this incredible truth. She stole  
a glance at her beloved’s hand and saw the gleam of his ring and smiled at the sight.  
She still bore a disturbing mark of a mad-man’s so-called ownership on her back. This  
mark would someday soon be removed, but it would never fully be erased from her soul.  
A man had owned her. And she had suffered. But now – she was free, and in that freedom  
had made a choice of her own free will to belong with another man. A man who also  
belonged with her. The rings did not symbolize ownership. They symbolized choice.  
Freedom. Future.  
He saw her smiling at him and gave her a dazzling smile back.  
“Happy?” He smiled as he said it – knowing full well what the answer was.  
“Deliriously so,” she sighed as she squeezed his hand. “Are you?”  
“Absolutely.”  
“Oh, Clark. We did it. We really did it.”  
“You take a lot of credit for this – it came together beautifully and – no media circus at  
all.”  
“My mother and her associates were all the souls of discretion.”  
“For which I am ever grateful.”  
“Do you think the press will be angry at being trumped?”  
“Maybe. But as much as I recognize how bad an idea it is to offend the press,” he said with  
a mischievous grin, “I also know that this is what we both needed. What we both had to  
have. This moment to ourselves – for ourselves – without it being something grandiose  
and… ridiculous.”  
She nodded, in full agreement. The press at large had no idea. Catherine would let loose  
the exclusive in a few days, but by then, they would have made their escape and wouldn’t  
have to deal for a few weeks.  
Lois looked at the party in progress and marveled to herself. If someone had ever told her  
that one day both Inspector Henderson and Catherine Grant would be dear enough to her  
to be special guests at her wedding, she would have told them they were insane. Then  
again, it wasn’t so long that she would have considered anyone who told her she and  
Clark would one day wed as a certifiable lunatic.  
She looked over at her handsome husband. “Thanks for not giving up on me,” she  
whispered solemnly.  
He was equally as solemn. “And the same here.”  
“Lois – it was such a lovely service,” said Lana, intruding unintentionally in the private  
moment. She hugged Lois as one would a beloved sister. Which is what they really were  
now anyway. Lana stepped back and then gave Clark a hug. “I’m so happy for you both,”  
she said tearfully.  
“Lana – we are so thrilled to have you share this with us,” said Lois also quite tearfully.  
Who cares about tears anyway. Let the mascara run. Nothing could mar this day.  
“Hey! Who’s been making my wife cry?”  
“Hi Rick,” said Lois and Clark in near perfect unison. They looked at each other  
momentarily and laughed.  
“How was the honeymoon,” Lois asked, and then flushed pink just a little. “I mean – how  
was the vacation part of it?”  
“It was wonderful. Bora Bora is quite the paradise,” sighed Lana dreamily. “Speaking of.  
Where are you two going?”  
“Someplace that’s not here,” said Lois with a twinkle.  
“Oh. Pooh. Secrets.”  
“Lana. I’m sorry – I can’t risk it. I trust you – I trust you both. But for all you know – this  
place might have a bug or two – and then – “  
“Actually – it doesn’t,” said Clark with a grin.  
“Show off! How could I have forgotten. Did you guys know that I actually maneuvered  
Clark into coming over early on – before we were dating – to come look for hidden  
microphones… back in the Luthor days?”  
“You didn’t maneuver, Lois – you said you were worried about the microphones and it was  
a legitimate worry!”  
“Clark – I was definitely maneuvering you to come over. It’s okay. There’s no shame in  
being manipulated, you know. I was worried about the bugs, but really – I was just eager  
to see you again.”  
“You could have just said that – at any time at all during our acquaintance, and I’d have  
come over.”  
She smiled at him. “I know. Forgive my neuroses, okay? I promise – I now know how much  
I mean to you.”  
“That’s a relief… considering we just got married!”  
“Speaking of marriage – where *are* you two going – “  
“Lois! Clark!” It was the booming voice of their favorite Mayor.  
Lois smiled apologetically at Lana. “I’ll tell you later. I promise,” was her hurried whisper  
as Perry bore down on the happy couple.  
And so it went on. Hearty congratulations. Tears. Fervent wishes of a good life together,  
and of course, countless queries as to where they would be going. Lois and Clark bore  
under the scrutiny and love of their friends with good humor. Lois even got a chance to  
turn their favorite mad scientist a bright shade of pink by giving him a very warm hug and  
kiss on the cheek. It was because of him, as well as several others at this gathering that  
her husband was alive and well – and she would never cease to overflow with gratitude.  
Hours passed, and she felt weariness settle in. Weddings and parties were all well and  
good, but her feet were starting to hurt, as was her face from all the smiling. She wanted  
to get out of there. She wanted to escape with her new husband. She wanted to be alone  
with Clark.  
Seeking him out unobtrusively, she stepped into the circle of a conversation he was  
involved with and put her hand on his arm.  
***Sweetheart***  
She pushed the thought into his mind.  
***Let’s make our excuses and get out of here!***  
He strove hard to hide his shock. She rarely used this form of communication and he  
would never dare initiate it without her overt permission. Having been thus prodded,  
however, he sent back his response.  
***Lead and I’ll follow, darling.***  
And so she did.  
The party survived their absence, and continued well into the evening. Long after the  
wedded couple had taken to the skies.  
Lois woke up groggily just as they were touching down. It took a moment for her to get  
her bearings, and then she chuckled softly.  
“I fell asleep?”  
“It was a long ride,” he said. “Well – at least it is with a passenger.”  
“Sorry for slowing you down,” she said with a smile in her voice.  
“It’s the journey that counts, right?” he said with equal humor. He set her on her feet.  
She looked around.  
“Please thank Bruce for his generosity. I think it’s wonderful that we get to spend our  
honeymoon on our own private island.”  
“I’ll be sure to pass that on,” he said. “Hopefully someday soon you can tell him yourself.”  
“I don’t know. I’ve written a scathing Batman article or two…”  
“He feels he deserved every word.”  
“No. He didn’t say that,” she winced.  
“Lois, you were right. His vigilantism is borderline dangerous at times.”  
“And yet you two are friends.”  
“Odd. I guess. He knows if he ever needed to be stopped… and vice versa.”  
“What? How could he… in the incredibly unlikely event you needed stopping… how could  
he do it?” Her voice was tense. Not from the idea that Clark would need stopping – rather  
the idea that Batman could somehow hurt the man she loved.  
“I – uh – gave him some Kryptonite – just in case.”  
“Clark. Are you sure that was a good idea?” She struggled to keep her emotions in check.  
“I trust him, Lois. I really do. I did this before you and I were dating – otherwise I would  
have consulted with you. But he’s never acted in a way that’s made me regret my  
decision.”  
“Clark – if you trust him, then I trust your judgment. I just hate the idea of someone  
having the means to kill you – right in their grasp.”  
“After the clone incident I’m pretty sure that the Metropolis PD and S.T.A.R labs have a  
healthy supply tucked away. Just in case.”  
“Oh Clark.”  
“Lois. Is being here okay with you? I mean – really? We are really alone here – nobody but  
us. The place is well stocked and everything – but it really is a … sheer solitude.”  
“It’s more than okay. I love this. I really do. “  
“If you do change your mind – it’s really not a problem to – “  
“I know. I know. I don’t feel trapped here, Clark. Really.” Her gaze was serious and intense  
as she said this.  
“Good enough,” he said with measured mildness. “Look – why don’t we get settled and  
then I’ll make dinner.”  
“I won’t argue! But we can do it together.”  
“All right,” he said agreeably – but his expression belied his calm demeanor. Worry still  
lurked deep in his dark gaze.  
“Clark,” she said gently, “I’m doing fine. Really.”  
“I’m that obvious am I?”  
“I love that you worry about me – but I’m fine.”  
“It’s just that it’s been a long day. The wedding, the party afterwards – that was all really  
incredible… but also tiring – and – “  
“Are you telling me you’re tired?”  
“Not exactly.”  
“You don’t need to worry about it. That nap I got was really what I needed. I’m fine now.  
But I’m starting to feel hungry – and a hungry Lois is a scary thing. You don’t want to see  
me when I’m really hungry.”  
“Consider me warned,” he smiled at her.  
The next hour passed in happy industriousness as they prepared their dinner.  
“I’ll set the table,” he offered, not wanting her to do anything even remotely servant-like.  
“Do you want to open the wine?”  
“Yeah – sure! And then – if you don’t mind – I want to … freshen up a bit.”  
“Sure! No problem.”  
“So… where…?”  
“Oh… uh – through – here… “ He walked with her toward the bedroom. “Through – the…  
bedroom.”  
She saw him flush a bit, and a surge of tenderness flooded through her. “Thanks,” she  
said quietly. “I won’t be long.”  
“No hurry on my account,” he responded softly.  
She disappeared into the depths of the room, and he turned away, refusing to indulge in  
the mild case of the nerves that *he* was having. Most of all, he was afraid she would  
have a bad reaction, and that he wouldn’t be able to do anything to help.  
He was standing by the stereo system and setting up a play-list when he heard her come  
out.  
“I’m done,” she said shyly.  
He turned as he straightened and had to fight from keeping his jaw from dropping to the  
ground.  
Lois was beautifully dressed in a very deep-dark-red floor length dress. She was  
absolutely stunning – like some mythical goddess who had decided to grace mortality  
with her presence. She had done something elaborate and beautiful with her hair, and she  
her skin gleamed. It was all he could do to keep his reaction under control.  
“You… ah… you like?” Her voice was tentative and shy.  
“My god, Lois. You are simply … the most gorgeous … “ he shook his head, and it was  
clear to her that his emotion and words were from the heart. “You are just so beautiful. I  
can’t even believe how gorgeous you are.”  
She smiled broadly at his words. He felt his knees start to go weak.  
“Look… uh… you’ve set the standard amazingly high. I need to try to meet you somewhat  
halfway here… we should do this right. Can you give me a few minutes? Dinner will be  
ready in about 15 – I promise to be done by then.”  
“You’ve never kept me waiting,” she said with a smile. “I’ll be fine out here on my own.”  
Ten minutes later he came out looking more devastatingly handsome than she had ever  
seen him. His shirt was a dark blue, and it complemented his coloring impeccably. His  
slacks were a dark charcoal color. The overall picture was staggering.  
“Clark. I – I think you’ve set the standard even higher,” she gasped. “You look amazing.”  
He smiled at her. “Glad you think so,” he murmured huskily.  
“I just don’t get it,” she continued. “So many gorgeous, brilliant, amazing women in this  
world, and you could have had your pick. And you chose me? I really don’t …  
understand… how I got to be so incredibly lucky.”  
“Lois – you are the most gorgeous brilliant and amazing woman I’ve ever met. I’m the one  
who can’t believe his luck.”  
She grinned. “Well, then its good we both got lucky," she said, suddenly flushing at her  
choice of words.  
“I couldn’t agree more,” he said, refusing to take up the unintended bait. “Are you ready  
for dinner?”  
Soon they were seated across each other enjoying the fruits of their labor. They bantered  
gently and lovingly as they progressed through the meal.  
As dinner drew to a close, however, Lois felt a tight band of worry start to grip her heart.  
<<It’s almost time.>>  
She only half heard what Clark was saying as she allowed her mind to start wandering to  
what was going to happen that night. Her eyes grazed over him – taking in his size and  
strength, worrisome reflections of his resemblance to Lord Kal began to invade her  
consciousness. Defiantly she fought those thoughts.  
<<This is Clark. I have nothing to fear from Clark.>>  
He noticed she was distracted and immediately guessed the reason. Reaching across the  
table he gently gripped her hand.  
“Lois – nothing really has to happen. Remember?”  
“I know that. I really do. I trust you implicitly – I do.”  
“Glad to hear it,” he said gently.  
She looked at their clasped hands a few long moments, willing her dark thoughts to  
recede. Frustrated by her incipient case of the nerves, she stood up with an almost violent  
force and started to clear off the table. She reached over to take a plate when she felt his  
hand on her arm. She looked at him in surprise.  
“I’ll do this, Lois,” he said, his voice quiet and gentle. “But how about you dance with me  
first?”  
A shiver of desire and apprehension ran through her. Dancing before had been so  
wonderful, but now it felt like a prelude to something entirely different. Something she  
wasn’t yet sure she could handle. She bit her lower lip in an unconscious nervous habit as  
she lowered her eyes momentarily. Then she raised them back up to his, smiled at him  
and nodded shyly.  
“I’d love that, Clark,” she said softly.  
He gently pulled her close. He could feel the stiffness in her body that told him of the  
nervousness that she was trying to hide and trying to deny. Sighing inwardly he decided  
not to say anything to her about it. It was obvious she didn’t want him to know, and he  
didn’t want to cause her any undue distress.  
He wrapped his arms around her as they began to move together to the slow music, and  
just enjoyed the sensation of holding her close. After a long while, he felt her relax  
somewhat, and breathed himself an inward sigh of relief.  
“This is nice,” she said after a while.  
“Yes, it is,” he agreed. “Thanks for saying ‘yes’”.  
“To dancing?’  
“Dating. Marrying. And yeah… dancing.”  
“Oh, Clark…”  
Despite her fears, Lois loved being this close to him. She loved the heat of his body  
against hers. She loved hearing his heartbeat and feeling him breathe. She loved his  
wonderful masculine scent and the feel of his arms around her.  
They danced together slowly for a long while. Clark pulled back a little to look into her  
eyes –caught up in the sensual spell of the moment. He had every intention of taking  
things slowly, of not letting passion overtake him – but when he was this close to her – he  
couldn’t think straight.  
“Lois,” he whispered, his voice deeper now with the feelings he was having.  
She looked up at him with luminous eyes. She saw that his eyes had now darkened  
considerably, and she felt her nervousness come creeping back. Nervously she flicked her  
tongue over her bottom lip.  
“Lois,” he groaned, entranced by the gesture. “Don’t do that… let … let me…”  
He bent his head as he simultaneously tightened his hold around her. She waited  
breathlessly for him to kiss her and gasped when his lips brushed so gently on hers, his  
tongue flicking against her lower lip in deliberate imitation of her own nervous habit.  
He lifted his head just a fraction to gauge her reaction. Comforted by what he saw in her  
gaze he lowered his head once more and kissed her again. In contrast with the initial  
tender and exploratory kiss, this kiss was more blatantly sensual. His tongue immediately  
thrust into her mouth and engaged hers in a gentle duel.  
His arms tightened around her back as he pulled as close as he safely could, wanting to  
feel her body pressed against his. To his relief, she also tightened her arms which were  
wrapped around his neck.  
One hungry kiss kept leading into another and both of them began to get lost in the haze  
of passion. He felt his senses swimming, and began to feel his higher mental functions  
start to shut down. He needed to regain control –he needed to be in control because  
tonight of all nights, a lack of control would very likely be threatening to her. This time  
there was no real safety net of knowing that they were waiting for their wedding night.  
This *was* their wedding night. Prompted by those thoughts, he broke off kissing her,  
and gently pushed them both apart a few inches.  
“Clark?” Her voice was husky with desire and the look of bewildered sensuality in her eyes  
nearly made him crush her to him again.  
<<Control. I need to stay in control.>>  
“God, Lois… I… I …”  
“Don’t stop kissing me, Clark,” her voice was a whispered plea. “I never want to stop  
kissing you… I want to make love to you,” he said, his voice rasping in his desire for her.  
She felt a shiver of nervousness and excitement shoot through her at his words. Her eyes  
were gleaming with this heady mixture as she looked at him –unable to even vocalize a  
response.  
“Lois… your choice. Always. I just was being honest,” he said with a rueful smile.  
“Clark. I want to make love with you too. “  
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him insistently down to meet her in a  
hungry kiss. He groaned deep in his throat and pulled her closer, matching her hunger  
with his own.  
She felt a thrill of excitement go through her at his movements and deepened the kiss.  
After a long while, it was her turn to break off the kissing, and it took every ounce of his  
willpower not to pull her close when she did.  
“Clark,” she gasped breathlessly. “Let’s take this to the bedroom.”  
“Are… you sure?”  
She paused, considering the question. And then, she laughed self-deprecatingly.  
“I… I don’t know. Right now… it’s what I want. How’s that for honest?”  
He caressed her face with his palm. “I love that you feel you can be that honest,” he said.  
“There’s no point at which you can’t put a stop to things. You know that- right?”  
She nodded. “Mostly… I know that you really mean it when you say it.”  
“However?”  
“Well… passion can be overwhelming,” she said shyly.  
“Tonight I’m on my best behavior, Lois,” he said steadily.  
“Oh… well… don’t try to be too… good,” she said, deliberately trying to tease him. “That  
wouldn’t be any fun.”  
He grinned at her. Her ability to be seductive in the face of her past trauma and her  
worries about the upcoming night was incredibly sexy.  
<<Yet one more thing about her that drives me wild. But not too wild. No. Not tonight… I  
hope…>>  
She saw the darkening of his eyes as he looked at her, and she knew her words had hit  
the target perfectly.  
Turning away, she took a few steps in the direction of the bedroom. She was feeling a lot  
of conflicting emotions, but she knew that she would have to take a lot of the initiative  
this night, and she didn’t want her fears to affect his ability to respond to her. She paused  
when she didn’t hear him take any steps. Turning slightly, she looked at him  
challengingly.  
“Are you coming?”  
He smiled again as he moved towards her. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized that  
she had successfully moved the proceedings onward. The bedroom. It was hard to  
imagine a more intimate setting than that. And tonight … this was the night. She forced  
herself to stand ground without showing any of the new set of nerves that was  
threatening to intrude into her more passionate feelings. She watched him approach with  
her heart in her throat.  
He saw her conflict and sought to reassure her. He reached over and took one of her  
hands in his. He squeezed her hand very gently.  
“Lead, and I’ll follow,” he said quietly.  
Together they walked into the bedroom.  
She looked around the semi-dark room, and she felt more tension fill her heart. Her  
bravado was fast deserting her.  
“How about some light?” He moved away and turned the light on to make the room seem  
less menacing.  
She winced a bit at the sudden light. He was quick to apologize.  
She smiled gratefully over at him. “No – its okay,” she assured him. “Just… sudden  
brightness…” She trailed off as she looked around the room. It was immaculate and  
tastefully decorated. She hadn’t really let herself look around too much before when she  
was getting showered and dressed because she didn’t want to add to her nervousness.  
Now, she couldn’t help but focus on the big bed in the room. She quickly glanced over at  
him, taking in the general shape of him, and a sudden sharp sense of familiarity shot  
through her. Right now, he looked more like *him* than he had in a long while. Her mind  
was playing tricks on her, spurred on by her already heightened sense of worry. She knew  
this logically – but logic didn’t always win out in situations like this.  
“Do you want to … go back out there?” His voice was warm and friendly.  
She closed her eyes in frustration.  
<<No. I will not let this feeling win.>>  
She turned and took the few steps into his personal space. Her feet felt leaden, but she  
forced herself to move with forced casual grace. Once in his space, she wrapped her arms  
around his waist.  
“Can you hold me? Please?”  
“You never have to ask,” he said warmly, bringing his arms around her in a comforting  
hold.  
She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent – the scent that uniquely identified him as  
*Clark*. Soon, under the soothing steady beating of his heart, she felt herself start to  
uncoil just a little bit. The band that had fitted itself around her lungs wouldn’t completely  
release her, but she was feeling a little bit less panic-stricken.  
She stepped out of his embrace and looked up at him with a sheepish smile.  
“Sorry,” she said awkwardly.  
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” he said quietly.  
“Kiss me?”  
His lips claimed hers slowly and gently at first, gaining in intensity as the kiss went on.  
She parted her lips hesitantly under his, and his tongue slowly thrust into her mouth,  
engaging her tongue in a sensual yet careful duel. He lifted his head, intending to gauge  
her reaction. Unwilling to lose the incipient thread of desire, she pulled him back down to  
her, and kissed him hard. Her tongue almost aggressively made its way into his mouth  
and she kissed him wildly trying to ignite a similar response in him.  
Clark felt his emotions swirling wildly. Passion seemed to flare fiercely in his body and  
soul – more fiercely than it ever had before. The emotions and physical sensations were  
starting to carry him away, and he broke the kiss off before he lost himself completely.  
It was his turn to step back. “I… I – need a little – breather,” he admitted carefully. He  
didn’t want to share his fears with her, but he didn’t like that he was feeling so much so  
soon.  
She watched him for a long moment.  
“You’re nervous aren’t you?”  
He looked down, not wanting to meet her gaze. Then resolutely he returned her gaze,  
deciding that the truth was always the best choice.  
“Yeah. A little.”  
“I forgot that this is your first time,” she said with a smile. “Don’t worry,” she teased. “I’ll  
be gentle.”  
He smiled dutifully at that but it didn’t reach his eyes. More was needed to soothe *his*  
worries.  
“And you will be too,” she said softly, her eyes gazing intently into his.  
Again he dropped his gaze, telling her that she had correctly identified what was worrying  
him.  
“I… I mostly know that,” he said quietly.  
“I completely know it. I… know it from past experience. And I know it – just by knowing  
you.”  
He nodded awed by what she had said.  
“You’re still worried,” she said, filling the silence.  
“Just a very small amount,” he admitted. “Any more than that and I wouldn’t be able to  
take the chance…”  
“I am sure,” she said. “I haven’t once worried about that, Clark. I know for a fact you won’t  
accidentally hurt me. Of course… I know you won’t do it on purpose either,” she added  
with a slight laugh.  
“I’m… immensely relieved to hear that,” he said. “Not because… of what could happen –  
but just that you trust me like that. It means a lot.”  
“I do trust you. Implicitly. I’m not afraid of you or what you will do. I’m afraid of … him.  
Intruding on us… taking your place… in my mind… and … wreaking all kinds of havoc.  
But… never you.”  
He nodded slowly, not knowing how to offer up comfort. “Just tell me, okay? If you need  
to stop this at any time – it’s all right. Okay?”  
She nodded.  
Feeling more assured that she was relaxing a bit, he kissed her again. A slow and very  
seductive kiss which promised so much more. The sensual pressure of his lips on hers  
threatened to make her collapse. She tilted her head back and kissed him back hungrily.  
His lips left hers, but this time it wasn’t to take a break or check how she was doing. She  
gasped as she felt the heat of his lips as his mouth traveled down her jaw, down the long  
column of her neck. He licked her pulse point and she felt her knees weakening  
completely.  
“Ah,” she gasped. “I – I’m going to fall down if you do that!”  
“I’ll never let you fall,” he promised. His lips returned to her neck and she arched her head  
away from him to give him more access. His mouth returned to hers with renewed hunger  
and for a long while they were silent as they continued to kiss passionately. Clark ran  
restless hands over her back. He wanted to feel her gleaming skin, and although his brain  
kept trying to caution him to go slowly, his desire was winning out.  
He began to toy with her zipper and felt her almost imperceptible stiffening.  
<<Too soon!>>  
He began to mentally castigate himself for being so impatient – and then he felt her  
unsteady fingers working on the buttons of his shirt. Her fingers were shaking slightly,  
making it hard for her to unbutton a single button.  
He lifted his head from hers and gently held her hands still. “We don’t have to –“  
“I want to touch you,” she whispered.  
Her words sent hot desire through his entire body.  
<<I need to stay in control. If she needs me to stop. God help me – what I can’t stop?>>  
“I can – “  
He let her go completely and stepped back, unbuttoning the first button on his shirt.  
“No! I… I want to do it.” Her voice was almost frantic. He looked at her questioningly and  
she looked down. She was trembling slightly.  
“He… uh… he… he used to… have this… deliberate way… of undressing… and… and… “  
“Lois – I’m sorry,” he said hastily. “I – of course – you can do it…” He left off at  
unbuttoning his shirt, unwilling to upset her any further.  
“It’s stupid,” she said flushing.  
“Not stupid at all,” he insisted. “Please… Lois… you do it?”  
He gently took her hands and moved them back to his shirt.  
“Unless… and it’s okay – if you want to… wait – to take this off…”  
She smiled up at him, brought back into the moment by his incredible concern for her.  
“I very much want to take this off,” she said seductively. This time her fingers were  
steadier as she slowly unbuttoned each button, gazing up at him the entire time she did  
it. Impatiently she pushed the shirt down his arms so that it fell to the floor in a careless  
puddle. She looked at what she had just uncovered and was lost in the beauty of his form.  
“My god,” she whispered. “I just want to… “  
She reached out and traced the skin covering his chest. He made a sound of need in his  
throat as she did so, and she thrilled to it. It excited her beyond belief that he wanted her  
like this. She stepped in, wrapping her arms around his waist, and planted a kiss on his  
chest. She licked the spot where she had just kissed him, and his hands convulsively  
tightened where they had been carefully holding her arms.  
She continued to do this careless torture to him. Kissing him, tracing his beautiful muscle  
definition, and nibbling at random. Each time she did so, she heard his breathing quicken  
and felt his hands briefly tighten and then release. She felt a surge of love. He was trying  
so hard to be in control. She would have to do something about that.  
She tilted her head back and looked at him.  
“Want to help me out of this dress?”  
Without waiting for an answer, she turned to face the other direction.  
His hand gently touched her back where her zipper was.  
“Are you sure you’re okay with my doing this?” His voice was strained, but still filled with  
concern for her. “Are you sure you don’t want to do it yourself?”  
“Clark… I’m tired of doing it myself,” she said suggestively.  
“Lois, you are going to drive me crazy,” he said with a groan.  
“Please, Clark… help me get out of this thing.”  
Needing no further encouragement, he gently moved the zipper down. She had stiffened  
very slightly as he did it, but he trusted her to put the brakes on if she needed to. With a  
newfound boldness, he pushed the sleeves of her dress off her shoulders so that it joined  
his shirt on the floor.  
He was completely unprepared for the fact that she was wearing two scraps of black lace  
under that dress. Somehow he had envisioned something a little more… opaque.  
He was grateful that he was still half dressed. His groin had hardened almost painfully at  
the sight of her in the skimpy underclothes.  
Suddenly feeling very uncertain – she turned to face him.  
He tried very hard to keep his gaze on her eyes. He didn’t want her to feel like he was  
ogling her.  
“So… do… do you… like?”  
“Oh…god… I like… very much.”  
“Take me to bed, Clark,” she whispered. “Kiss me so I can’t think straight.”  
He pulled her close and kissed her deeply. Their tongues melded together in sensual  
imitation of the sex act itself. He broke off the kiss, gasping a little in shock as he felt her  
hands on the waistband of his slacks. Her fingers were very sure of themselves as they  
made fast work of the fastenings.  
Soon he was as exposed to her as she was to him, and he felt extremely vulnerable. It was  
a strange sensation. He looked at her carefully, trying to see if she was as in control of her  
emotions as she seemed. Love seemed to pour from her gaze into his. She deliberately let  
her eyes travel over his body, and she gave him a mischievous smile.  
“You are the most gorgeous man I have ever seen,” she whispered as she wrapped her  
arms around his waist, stepping intimately up against him. “Remember what I said to you  
the night of the Whites’ party?”  
His groin immediately tightened at those words. As if he could *ever* forget the sound of  
her whispering hotly into his ear that she wanted to … he couldn’t even think it now. If he  
did, he would explode. He pushed away a little, not wanting to scare her with his body’s  
reaction, but her hands around him tightened and she refused to allow his withdrawal.  
“Come on, Flyboy. Show me what you’ve got.”  
She stepped away from him, and deliberately lay down in the bed, giving him a slightly  
challenging look, urging him – and daring him – to join her.  
His eyes locking gaze with hers, he carefully climbed into bed next to her, feeling  
immeasurably awkward and foolish. She looked so fragile and perfect lying there in those  
impossibly sexy scraps of lace. He was half afraid to touch her – not wanting to break or  
mar her in any way.  
She took pity on him, remembering that he had no real practical experience in this arena.  
Despite his amazing love-making the night they had spent together, she knew that this  
was difficult for him. She snuggled in close next to him, and arranged her body against  
his so that she was in his arms. He responded immediately, accommodating her so that  
they lay comfortably together.  
“This is really nice,” she said after a long silence.  
“Do you really mean that? If you’re having second thoughts or anything, I’d really want to  
know, Lois… you do know that there’s no point at which you can’t change your mind.”  
She shifted slightly so she was facing him, leaning up on her elbow.  
“Clark. Do you want to wait?”  
“No. I just thought maybe you might be feeling more like this is getting too real.”  
She lifted a hand to trace his face. “It is real. Very real. It’s been real for a long time. I’m…  
I don’t want to wait. I really want to make love with you.”  
As she said those words, she felt a slight shiver of apprehension. The more they talked  
about it, the more she would worry about it. All she really wanted was for him to take her  
into his arms and kiss her senseless so she wouldn’t think – so she could just feel. She  
knew then that she’d be more than willing for them to come together if he would just  
make her feel.  
She put her hand up to trace her lips. “You know that song by Elvis? A little less  
conversation…a little more… action?”  
He caught the mix of teasing and apprehension in her voice, and he nodded.  
He lifted his own hand to gently stroke the side of her face, and then he leaned in and  
kissed her. He kept it deliberately gentle – wanting to ease into the passion because they  
were now in an extremely compromising situation.  
She was the one who urged the kiss to higher passion and before he knew it, his senses  
were swimming and he was wrapping arms around her and pulling her close up against  
him. His initial hesitancy was fast being replaced by a more urgent hunger, and she  
seemed right there with him as their tongues clashed wildly.  
His hands began to move gently over her bare skin, and she gasped at the sensation. She  
began to feverishly explore him as well – delighting in the feel of his skin against her bare  
fingers.  
One of his hands moved to cup her breast and she arched into his touch, losing all  
conscious thought except the complete and utter need to feel his touch there.  
“Help me off with this,” she gasped feverishly against his mouth, trying to wrangle her  
way out of her bra. No sooner had she uttered her plea when she herself had undone the  
clasp and shimmied out of the offending garment.  
“Touch me, please,” she begged. “I love it when you touch me like this.”  
She was lying back on the pillow now, looking up at him with a burning need. He lay on  
his side, supported on his elbow, and he reverently moved his hand to cover one of her  
beautiful breasts. She gasped, and he leaned in and began to kiss her at the base of her  
neck – he knew this would drive her crazy. As he did, he began to flick his thumb against  
her nipple. She arched up against him, desire shooting through her so fiercely, she felt  
she would die if he stopped.  
He stopped his sensual attack on her pulse point and moved his head down lower so that  
he took the nipple he had been teasing into his mouth. She gasped again, grasping his  
shoulders as she arched up against him. She felt she was riding waves of pure need now.  
She pulled him towards her and he obliged moving so that he was half on top of her as he  
began to torture her inflamed nipple with his tongue. His other hand began to play with  
the other one, and she arched her lower body up to make contact with his chest.  
She whimpered in frustration. She wanted to feel his hardness between her legs. She  
wanted that more than anything. She pushed at him and he lifted his head immediately –  
looking into her eyes to divine her intentions. Did she wanted him to stop?  
“I need you, Clark. I can’t believe how badly I need you!”  
“Lois – I’m not going anywhere. It’s okay – “ He was trying to soothe her down so that his  
own rising tide of desire wouldn’t take off at her words. Her unbridled reaction was  
triggering his own and that still scared him. Losing control. He couldn’t let himself lose  
control.  
She moved her hand so that she was cupping him through his briefs, and he gasped at  
the sensation.  
“Come into me, Clark. Please. I’m so ready for you, I think I’ll die if you don’t.”  
The passion and need in her voice and her very demeanor convinced him of her sincerity.  
He moved upwards a little so that his lower body was where she seemed to want it to be.  
He hadn’t yet removed his final piece of clothing. Neither had she. He worried that if he  
did remove the rest of their clothes if the reality of the situation would trigger a panic  
attack.  
She whimpered at the contact. It wasn’t enough. He moved his hand between her legs  
instinctively and began to move his fingers against the damp silk that covered her body  
so scantily. He remembered the way she had responded the only other time they had gone  
this far, and he used that memory to guide him into touching her the way she liked to be  
touched.  
He circled his fingers against her most sensitive flesh, alternating between gentle and  
fiercer pressure, using the arching motions of her body as his guide. She began to arch up  
rhythmically against his hand and he responded to the timing and pace of her thrusts.  
Once again, she stiffened, and the sounds that came from her sounded worryingly like  
pain. She grasped his hand tightly as she arched up hard, and again, she winced as the  
very hard climaxes shuddered through her body – wrenching out through her so deeply  
that she felt like she would never touch ground again.  
She lay panting for a few moments after, allowing the deep aftershocks to carry her away.  
She loved how that felt. She *loved* it. It was so powerful – so all-encompassing, so  
deeply satisfying.  
She opened her eyes and looked at him with an intoxicating expression in her eyes.  
“Come into me, Clark,” she invited huskily without a trace of fear. She sat up a little bit,  
and her eyes locked with his, she removed the rest of her clothes. She waited a beat  
before she tugged at the waistband of his briefs.  
“Clark. I want to see *all* of you.”  
He nodded, swallowing hard.  
“You still… don’t have to… do anything you don’t want to do,” he said hurriedly.  
“I don’t want to have to wait any longer,” she said teasingly. “So if you mean it…”  
He grinned at her broadly, making her knees go weak.  
<<It’s a good thing I’m lying down.>>  
He looked away, not willing to see the desire in her eyes turn into something darker as he  
exposed himself to her full view. He quickly took off his clothes – not so quickly that she  
didn’t see the motion, but quick – as if removing a band aid – unwilling to prolong the  
pain.  
His worries were not all unfounded. She looked at him in all his glory, and to her dismay…  
she found herself wondering fretfully if this would all work out.  
<<Parts that go into other parts should be proportionately sized! >>  
It didn’t seem possible, and yet she knew it was – because the other had been built like  
him, and they had come together- albeit painfully.  
<<No – there’s no reason for this to hurt. My body is designed to accommodate this kind  
of thing – and that’s just how it is. And I’m not a virgin – there’s no reason for this to  
hurt.>>  
The reality of what would happen next – the memory of what her last time doing this had  
been like… but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that joining with this man would be  
incredible. Wonderful. Not in the slightest bit uncomfortable.  
<<There won’t be any pain – no reason for any pain. Kal hurt me because he wanted to  
hurt me. I never felt like this around Kal – never yearned for him to be inside me the way  
I’m yearning now. This won’t be painful, so I have nothing to worry about.>>  
She kept repeating these thoughts in her head, and she put her arms around him, urging  
him to settle between her legs.  
He resisted still. “Are you sure… like this? I mean – “  
“Just like this,” she said huskily. As she arched up against him invitingly. He gasped and  
closed his eyes. She gasped too as she felt him for the first time pushing against her, and  
she forced herself not to withdraw.  
<<No pain. Remember? No pain.>>  
He sensed her worry and he leaned in and kissed her slowly. This kiss was extremely  
sensual and languorous and before long, she felt herself on fire again. She arched up  
towards him, her body wild and hot with the pleasure coursing through her. Fear was  
gone. She wanted, she yearned, she hungered. As she did this, his hardness came into  
direct contact with her center, and he froze at the sensation – for the first time believing  
that this might actually happen.  
He carefully braced himself, his hand caressing her face.  
She opened her eyes and looked at him beseechingly.  
“I want you – I really want you. “  
“I – I… is it okay? Now?”  
His uncertainty gave her strength and gave her courage.  
“Yeah, yeah – please… please now,” she said, almost frantically – afraid if he waited too  
long, her feelings of need would subside allowing fear to come back in.  
She arched up again in autonomic invitation. He gently held her hips and carefully pushed  
against her – not wanting his entry to be a forced invasion if there was any resistance.  
After all – it had been a long time for her, and her memories of this were anything but  
good. But there was no resistance. Her body welcomed him easily and he slid completely  
home.  
He gasped again at the new sensations now completely overwhelming him. His brain was  
losing it’s cognitive coherence, and he was getting pulled deeper and deeper into that  
place of pure feeling.  
“Oh –oh – god, god – Lois – I can’t believe…”  
She had closed her eyes as he slid in, trying hard to keep her mind focused on the  
present. Her body yearned for him and welcomed him, and as she had desperately hoped  
– there had been no pain at all – not even from the fact that her body was not really used  
consensual lovemaking. Despite her worries – despite his size – they had come together  
perfectly – made for each other in body as well as in spirit.  
But the feeling of him coming in, filling her – it couldn’t help but jar some less than  
welcome memories – memories of being *taken* by someone so physically similar to this  
man, and she froze a little as she realized that the large shape of him looming over her,  
pressing her back and down – filling her – was all a little too disturbingly familiar.  
She stiffened and gasped a little as stabs of panic began to assail her.  
<<No! Not now!>>  
She wouldn’t ask him to stop – that would be beyond anything she could ever do.  
Clark was too perceptive – even in the haze of his overriding passion.  
“Lois – Lois – are you all right – did – are – “  
His voice brought her back to the presence. His voice –calling her Lois, anxious for her  
well-being, and she came back to where she was.  
“Make love to me, Clark – please don’t stop!"  
He could no longer hold back, and allowing himself to get completely lost in his passion,  
he began to thrust his way to completion, no longer even feeling aware of her – or  
anything else but the demanding sensations crowding through his body. It didn’t take  
long for him to peak, and he soon held her close against him as his body stiffened and  
bucked, a sound of incredible pleasure wrenched from has throat.  
His stiffened form relaxed as he came back into awareness, and he realized with a shock  
that he couldn’t even really remember anything but the feelings he had felt over the last  
few moments.  
His eyes flew opened and he looked down at her. She was gazing warmly at him. She still  
loved him. It hadn’t been horrible for her. He could feel relief shoot through his body.  
His joy was short lived as he took in the fact that her eyes still held a great deal of need in  
them.  
<<I didn’t hurt her. Which is incredibly good. But… I didn’t exactly …>>  
“You… you didn’t, did you?”  
Despite her frustrated state, Lois struggled bravely with the urge to hold in laughter. He  
looked so hopeful on the ‘did you’ part.  
“I did… just not when you did, but that’s really not … Clark… it was…” Her urge to laugh  
vanished leaving her choked with tears in its wake.  
“Lois – please don’t cry! What’s wrong?”  
Urgently, he moved to pull out and off of her when she tightened her arms around him.  
“Don’t!”  
He paused and looked at her questioningly.  
She didn’t speak. An inscrutable look in her dark eyes – she moved a hand to tangle in his  
hair and pulled him down to kiss her. He obliged and then was surprised by the passion  
and vehemence in her kiss. Her tongue moved hungrily into his mouth and she arched her  
pelvis upward, grinding into him.  
He hardened immediately, and then a jab of horror shot through him.  
<<Surely Lord Kal had done this to her? Taking her more than once? Showing off his  
stamina? Using it to further assert his dominance? She knows I can do this because of  
him.>>  
“Lois,” he said, breaking their kiss so he could look at her. Her eyes were flooded with her  
need for him and his worries faded. Very slowly he bent down to meet her – trying to drive  
her a little crazy.  
She wouldn’t have it – she pulled him down hard and fast and once again thrust her  
tongue hungrily into his mouth.  
Her lower body’s frantic movements told him that she really wanted him to move against  
her, and so he did – once again reveling in the way that it felt – she was just so impossibly  
perfectly tight. Nothing he had ever done alone had come close to simulating the way this  
felt.  
This time he didn’t lose complete awareness of his surroundings and he moved his body  
to provide the specific rhythm she seemed to need. She flung her head to the side  
restlessly as she arched up hard – making sounds of frustration and need in her throat.  
Finally – she arched up hard and stiffened, heralding to him that she was hitting her  
climax. He could feel her bent thighs locking hard around his legs as her orgasm  
wrenched through her. After a long moment, she subsided a bit and opened her eyes.  
He was still hard – but he tried to withdraw anyway, not wanting in any way to be like her  
old tormentor.  
“Clark, You didn’t come yet.” Her voice was impossibly sexy as she tightened her hold,  
arresting his withdrawal.  
“I did – Lois,” he said gaspingly.  
“I think I’d know,” she countered. “Evidence says otherwise.”  
“I mean earlier. Lois – you don’t have to – “  
She saw the conflict. “This isn’t anything like it was with him,” she gasped out  
reassuringly.  
He winced. “Most… people… men… don’t recover like this,” he protested. “God, that  
sounds like bragging. It isn’t – “  
“Clark!” She said softly. “Come to me.”  
She began to run her hands over his body purposefully. She began to nibble and bite at  
his pulse point, arching up spasmodically to encourage him to move.  
He groaned as she did this, and his body moved of it’s own accord.  
“I love this, Clark,” she said in a husky voice. “I never want to stop doing this. Clark… I  
want this so badly… please…”  
She wasn’t lying. Her body was heating up again – and she began to believe that she  
would climax a third time. With a groan of defeat or something else entirely, his hands  
tightened on her hips, and he began to thrust once again.  
His motions drove her wild, stoking up her fire until it was an inferno. She was a little sore  
by now, having not been used to doing this in so long, but even that burning and slightly  
stinging sensation was adding to her overall fire. She arched up hard into his thrusts, and  
this time, joined him in falling over the edge when they both climaxed in almost perfect  
synchrony.  
After a long moment, he gently held her hips to stabilize her, and pulled out. As soon as  
he did this he collapsed on the bed next to her – seemingly worn out. She snuggled into  
his warmth, not wanting to lose the sensation of being in contact with him. She looked at  
him through half open eyes – taking in his strong and beautiful body and felt the  
throbbing between her legs start up again.  
<<More. I could have more. Oh god. He’s turned me into an addict. Calm down, girl. Must  
calm down.>>  
It was a long while before he spoke. When he did, she heard the sleepiness in his voice  
and smiled inwardly.  
<<Superman becomes a ‘man’ in the end. So tired after sex.>>  
“Lois?” His tired inquiry held a wealth of meaning.  
“Clark. That was just so incredible,” she said.  
“Lois – I – “  
“You were *nothing* like him,” she asserted fiercely, hugging him hard, guessing  
accurately what was running through his mind.  
He leaned up on his elbow so he could look directly into her eyes.  
“Are you sure? You once said when we were getting close that when I was… feeling  
passion – I reminded you of him – did,“ he winced, “did I remind you of him at all –  
when… I… came?”  
“Oh Clark. No!”  
“It’s not that far from… the realm of possibility- I – it’s along the same lines of – “  
“This isn’t a science experiment,” she gently chided. “I know I once felt that way… but I’ve  
seen you like that often enough – not… while doing what we just did, but – while kissing  
and making out – and I … am… pretty *familiar* with seeing … you like… that – all hot  
and bothered,” she grinned, a sexy undertone to her voice.  
He immediately hardened at that and cursed himself mentally. He tried to shift away, but  
she stubbornly refused to let him. She moved in even closer- and he knew she had to feel  
it.  
“God, Lois – I’m sorry – “  
“For what?” Her voice held a demanding note.  
“For… uh…”  
“For desiring me? For finding me sexy?”  
“For … being so much the Kry… alien… right now,” he said forcing the hard words out.  
“Your being Kryptonian is not a bad thing,” she said, using the correct word and gazing at  
him intently. “Your recovery time is something that many women would find to be  
remarkable and wonderful.”  
He blushed at her words. He wasn’t looking to be some kind of super-stud. He just didn’t  
want to make her feel like she was with *him*. Not ever.  
“Clark, I can’t stop Lord Kal from haunting me. He has. He will. Sometimes he may pop up  
at the worst possible time. But this – what we shared- several times over – “ She smiled  
enticingly at him. “That was the most wonderful experience. I love you – I love you when  
you’re gentle, and I love you when you’re wild. So… just let go- and be yourself – the  
man, the Superman – the Human – and the Kryptonian. I love all of you and I desire all of  
you. I promise… if I ever don’t want to, or I feel any kind of post traumatic flash-back  
type – I’ll tell you. I promise. But you have to promise not to hold back on me. I loved  
what we did, and… God help me if I don’t want to do it again.”  
Her words finally penetrated his steel skull, and his eyes darkened with his love and  
desire.  
“Really? You… you want to do it again now?”  
A thrill shot through her. Soreness be damned, she desperately wanted to be with him  
again. She nodded and then, she pushed him back – moving over him to straddle him.  
“Only this time… I’m on top.”  
She leaned down and kissed him hard.  
It didn’t take long before they were joining again – their passion never fully seemed to  
abate.  
Lois couldn’t help a small gasp and wince as he entered her. She desperately desired the  
connection, but all the love making had taken a slight toll. Her body wasn’t superhuman,  
and it did require some amount of recovery time. Clark saw this and immediately stilled.  
“Did I just hurt you?” His voice was appalled.  
She shook her head. “Not much at all – and it’s nothing. I’m a little worn out,” she smiled  
at him. “But don’t stop! I want you! Please, don’t stop this!”  
She began to move on her own accord, in charge this time, and not letting the slight  
discomfort get in the way of her passion. Their passion flared up again they were able to  
again come together.  
It took a few moments for them to regain the ability to converse. Lois was the first to  
recover.  
“Wow,” she giggled as she snuggled against him, once again lying down on the bed next  
to him.  
“Lois,” he said, his voice almost superman stern. “Why didn’t you tell me you were… worn  
out… as you put it?"  
“Oh. Clark.”  
“Lois.”  
“I wanted you. God, I still do. Just remembering it…”  
“We aren’t doing this again,” he protested. “You need to recover. Hell. I need to recover.”  
“Man of steel,” she protested with a giggle. “You need new batteries, perhaps?”  
“Lois,” he said warningly.  
“Oh, Clark,” she said hugging him. “You’re right. I’m sore. I’m tired. I’m sleepy. It’s your  
fault that I’m insatiable now, but still – you’re right. We need to get some rest.” Many  
hours later, Lois woke up to the sensation of Clark easing out of their embrace.  
“Clark?” Her voice was a sleepy mumble that he found incredibly endearing.  
A jolt of worry shot through him. Did she think he was Lord Kal?  
“Yeah. It’s just me,” he hastily reassured her.  
“Why are you getting up – is there an emergency?”  
“No,” he said, this time holding back the amusement from his voice. “Sweetheart, it’s  
morning.”  
“No. God – no – how could it be morning so soon,” she protested sleepily. “I feel like I only  
got one or two hours.”  
“Oh, Lois – there’s no need at all for you to get up. Just get the sleep you need.” He was  
sitting now on the edge of the bed, facing her. He ran a gentle hand down her arm.  
“You come back to bed?” Her voice was plaintive and her eyes pleaded as well. “But no,”  
she amended quickly. “You’re not really tired anymore are you? You only need a few hours  
of sleep a night anyway, right?”  
He winced.  
<<Ghost of Lord Kal again.>>  
“I can come back,” he said gently. “It’s not like it’s a chore or anything to sleep next to  
you.”  
“No,” she said decisively. “I’ll get up – we can always take a nap,” she said smiling at him  
suggestively. “Or… you could come back to bed now… and… we could do something  
*other* than sleeping."  
Not giving him a chance to answer, she sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck,  
ignoring the protest of her aching muscles. She pressed into him and kissed him boldly,  
her tongue instantly invading his mouth.  
<<I hope I don’t have morning mouth. I don’t want to repulse him.>>  
He had been about to ask her how she was feeling – knowing that they had been just a  
little over-zealous the night before, but her kisses took him by surprise, and his brain  
was fast entering that fog of confusion that being intimate with her generated.  
He stopped thinking and responded to her kiss with full enthusiasm, wrapping his arms  
tightly around her back.  
They kissed like this for a long while, and as they did, Lois felt her body begin to react  
almost violently – she felt passion flowing through her with such an intensity it was  
almost frightening. Unfortunately the contractions and loosening of her inner walls  
reminded her that they had been together four times last night, and as such, she was a bit  
sore. She winced slightly and pushed away gently so she could tell him.  
“Lois? What’s wrong?” He saw the look in her eyes, and it wasn’t a look he had been  
expecting. She looked… sheepish, almost.  
“I… I know I started things just now… but… would you mind… if we postponed this?”  
“No – I don’t mind – you never *have* to… no matter who initiates it… but are you all  
right?”  
“A… very small bit… sore…” She hated admitting it to him, not wanting him to feel bad.  
“Oh my God. I did hurt you last night… I – “  
“Clark, my god… if you want me to be honest with you about stuff like this, you can’t  
overreact.” Her voice was stern as she held his gaze.  
Her words brought him up short and he stopped his outpouring of remorse.  
“Last night was the best night of my life, and I’ll be damned if you apologize for any of it.  
Have I made myself clear?”  
“Completely,” he said with a grin. “You have my number all right.”  
“Clark, it’s normal. Okay? I haven’t been… with a man in a long time. It’s just normal, and  
it’s okay. I thrilled to every single time we made love, and I can’t wait to do it again. I’m  
sure I’ll be fine by night-time.”  
“Lois, I promise not to apologize for last night, if you don’t push yourself. Deal?”  
“Deal. I promise – no pushing.”  
“Great.”  
“But I am getting up now… and I am taking that nap later… for now – I’m hungry.”  
“I can take care of that,” he promised. “Just… what is it? That was a look of pain.”  
She had winced as she had stood up out of bed –her inner thigh muscles were definitely  
hurting. Her seeming pain had brought him to his feet, and he was gently holding her  
arms to help support her.  
“It’s just a little DOMS,” she said. “Nothing at all!”  
“I have no idea what that means,” he said. “Is… it… serious?”  
“DOMS is delayed-onset-muscle-soreness,” she giggled. “I get it when I workout  
sometimes – when I do something different from what my body is used to doing. My…  
legs… you know, I… I was … using them a bit… yesterday… and…” She trailed off with a  
smile. “You know… and… you know… a hot tub would be just the thing.”  
“Hot tub? Then you’re in luck. There’s one on the premises and I can get it set up for you  
in no time. Do you need me to carry you?”  
“Clark. I can’t do a roundhouse kick right now, but other than that, I’m fine. There are two  
things I want right now. Breakfast with generous servings of coffee, and my husband to  
join me after in the hot tub.”  
“Well… you are asking a lot…”  
“Yeah. Wives can be demanding. Did you know that before, or is this coming as a surprise  
to you?”  
“You, my love, can be as demanding as you want,” he said, drawing her close into a  
friendly embrace.  
“Really? Because… you really haven’t seen how demanding I can get.”  
“We have an entire lifetime together for me to find out,” he murmured back as he bent to  
kiss her gently.  
When the kiss ended, she smiled up at him.  
“I love the sound of that.”  
[The End]  



End file.
